The charm of kimonos has long crossed national boundaries. In the past two years, some local fashions have used Japanese elements in their designs to make them suitable for Nanyang.
The climate’s “new style” kimono. Two new designers have a great time improving second-hand kimonos, and they also know how to wear modern kimonos.
The Tokyo Olympics that just ended, the Japanese elements have become popular again. Kimono, as a classic Japanese dress, has long crossed national borders and is deeply loved by Hara fans. In the past two years, I have seen local fashion use Japanese elements in design. All Would Envy, a women’s clothing brand that specializes in printing, presents the refreshing and bright summer with Japanese cardigans. Pinksalt uses the Obi belt in swimwear design, which is innovative and aesthetic.
There is a new wave of retro fashion. In October last year, the new designer Eshton Chua and Ian Suffian Samat partnered to create the brand Syne. They used second-hand kimonos recovered from Japan to improve and innovate to make them suitable for the Southeast Asian climate. New style” kimono. Driven by sustainable fashion, the improved kimono reveals the story of inheritance and maintenance behind the ancient national costumes.
Kimono love
A few years ago, Enzhong Tsai and Ian met in the shoe design competition held by the Textile Association and won the championship and runner-up respectively. As a kimono lover, Cai Enzhong, who studied furniture design, and Ian, who studied landscape design, hit it off and decided to set up a studio to develop a new fashion style.
As a general term, kimono refers to all Japanese Yamato national costumes, which are subdivided into a wide variety of categories. Ladies’ kimonos are divided into casual, formal, married, and unmarried styles, such as sleeves, sleeves, pay off, and colorless. Men’s kimonos are divided into dresses and gowns, with more emphasis on materials and styles. Modern design likes to use yukata and haori jacket as the version improvement. Yukata is also used as summer kimono. It is the daily dress of the Japanese when participating in summer festivals. It is light and breathable, which is very suitable for the Southeast Asian climate. The prototype of the haori is work clothes, a short cardigan, wide and fat cuffs, and a thick and gentle style in the layout, which is easy to wear.
When I was studying at the Polytechnic Institute, Ian often wore a kimono to class. The first reaction of my classmates was “Aren’t you hot?” Ian laughed and said, “This is a misunderstanding of many people. In fact, as a coat, kimono is cooler than other coats.” As he said, he took a kimono off the hanger to show reporters that the armpits on both sides are the easiest to sweat. There are openings in the area to help air circulation. The large version of the dress plus the cuffs and the hem are left with air outlets. When walking, the air forms a natural circulation inside the clothes, which is ventilated and cool.
Kimonos run through important stages in the life of Japanese people. There are corresponding kimonos for coming-of-age ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. As the inheritance of the family spirit, the family crest embroidered on the kimono is similar to a badge, representing the family lineage and specific identity. The Japanese have the custom of inheriting kimono from their parents, as a family inheritance. There are also specialized craftsmen responsible for repairing, improving, and refurbishing kimonos to extend the life of the clothes. Generally speaking, a kimono can be passed down to three generations.
Cai Enzhong fell in love with kimono and was attracted by the details and heritage of Japanese design. He shared: “I usually like to read stories about kimonos, and the spirit of inheritance behind it is very inspiring today. Compared with us living in fast fashion and consumerism, when there are many exquisitely crafted fabrics that can be recycled, how Happy but not doing it?”
Retro kimono transformation
The friend was responsible for collecting local second-hand kimonos in Japan and sending them to Singapore. Ian and Cai Enzhong will make changes according to the patterns and styles of the fabrics, and the kimono cloth will be transformed into a variety of items in their hands: cardigan jackets, long cardigans, tote bags, hats, etc., according to the difference between the long and short models, improve The price of kimono ranges from 80 to 190 yuan.
At first, the two of them had the mentality to try, and they didn’t know the local people’s acceptance of modern kimono. Unexpectedly, after the studio was established, it attracted a group of like-minded enthusiasts. The forty-something bank manager ordered a black kimono jacket instead of a suit to wear during meetings. Skydiving enthusiasts in Europe have customized a kimono jacket with good airtightness to wear when skydiving. In addition to clothing, brands are also exploring how to use fabrics in tableware design. The long tablecloth made of the kimono belt is very popular with the mother party. Recently, it has also cooperated with restaurants to make placemats for new season dishes and Japanese uniforms for employees.
In addition, brands often cooperate with craftsmen to limit models to explore how to make second-hand items more beautiful. Thinking of the fact that many local brands have recently begun to make second-hand clothing renovations, I wonder why the younger generation loves vintage old things so much? Tsai Enzhong thought for a while and said: “Perhaps because we live between two extremes, surrounded by too many cutting-edge technology trends every day, we also want to go back to the simple time in the past. Second-hand and retro look cool to us. .”
Ian is attracted by the traditional handicrafts of the old things. Every time I take apart the kimono to understand the internal structure, there are always many surprises. That is the wisdom of the ancients. It is fascinating to see the gold embroidery on the kimono, the exquisitely crafted lining, and the exquisite craftsmanship. “Looking forward to the end of the epidemic, I can travel to Japan to learn about kimono making. That must be a very happy thing!”
Modern kimono dressing advice
- Formal dress style: shirt with trousers, leather shoes, kimono jacket instead of suit jacket. Wear it for meetings or other formal occasions. It is low-key and stable, with a unique texture. It can be an alternative to expressing a statement of personality.
- Street style: upper body silhouette cardigan and feather knit, with T-shirt inside. Low profile wide-leg pants, paired with sneakers or stockings sandals, hand tote bag, wearing a fisherman hat, fashionable people out of the street.
3. Women’s styling: If you choose a long kimono, wear a camisole and tights inside to look tall and slender. The short kimono can be paired with wide-leg pants and white shoes to create a clever and energetic style.
