Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.697
Hello from Yuka from Ichiroya.
Today, I would like to introduce this book by Sheila Cliff.
I have just finished reading the book, with a big surprise- the book was not what I have expected at all. From this photo of the cover of the book, I could imagine the book should be telling about the present kimono wearers who dresses themselves with kimono with creative and different way from traditonal style from ancient times. I thought the book must contain the antithesis for too conservative kimono world such as kimono dressing schools (who are sometimes said to be one of the obstacle for people to stay away from kimono in Japan) and must be a kind of report of new generation kimono wearers in Japan by Sheila san. I had such simple thought before reading the book.
No, it was not like that at all. We say `me kara uroko ga ochiru' (felt like the scales fallen from my eyes) , and yes I was just like Saul.
I wish I could write all the part I was so impressed but there is so much.
The book contains the history of kimono in society(as the title of the book shows)clealy and carefully and also the most impressed thing was she had collected the voice both from the kimono makers and the wearers. Actually it is not that simple, kimono as fashion is not just producing, selling, buying and wearing. She introduces people who leads kimono industry ( or just live naturally on their own way) and had interviews of kimono wearers, both non-Japanese and Japanese. She mentiones about the movement of kimono weares abroad too.
I was going to pick up and show the part I was interested in but I used a highlighter pen so much as I read, there were so much inspiring part.
The review of the book on the back of this book tells what i like to say:
"Taking a material culture approach, The Social Life of Kimono is the first study to combine the history of the kimono as a fashionable garment with an in- depth exploration of its multifaceted role today on both the street and the cat walk. Through case studies coveirng historical advertizing campaigns, fashion magazines, interviews with contemporary kimono designers, large scale and small craft producers, and consumers who choose to wear them, The Social Life of Kimono gives a unique insight into the making and meaning of this complex garment."
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Being a kimono seller on the net for about 18 years, I had this dilemma which I really cannot explain in short. I love my Kitsuke sensei(kimono dressing teacher), and feel priviledged to see many vintage and old kimono in person everyday, and should be happy, but I just could not have clear image of kimono for future. Both Ichiro and I feel there should be some places to keep `artistic' and rare pieces for the future. Some have historical meanings such as kimono with war motifs and also some with elaborate craftsman's work which cannot be reproduce anymore. But apart from that, `where is kimono going? ' was always in my mind. They remain for people who do tea and flower arrangement? They remain only for weddings? They remain as cosplay thing and other kimono become a legacy?
Sheila san found this new movement of kimono through her long time investigation.
I would like to quate some part from her book in the beginning and the ending:
"Some worry that kimono loses its kimono-ness, something of it essence, as it interacts more with western fashion. But if we look back 1,200 years and about the high clogs of young guys and the wonky back seams of fashionable countiers, we realize that these worries are probably as old as fashion itself. The kimono of tomorrow will not be the kimono ofyesterday, which is a great thing because of not one wants to be a "yesterday."
"When speaking about the future of the kimono with the president of the Tansu-ya chain of second-hand kimono shops, Nakagawa Kenichi suggested that the kimono business isl ike Mount Fuji. At 3,776 meters, Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. The cauldron at the top is relatively small; it takes an hour to walk once around it. The only reason that the volcano that is Mount Fuji could rise to 3,776 meters is the immense size of its base. There are only a few people who will support the high end of coulture kimono wearing, but this can only exist if ther is a huge base of people who wear and enjoy kimono in everyday life. Therefore selling large quantiites of cheap kimono, used kimono and old kimono both inside and outside Japan and decreasing the distance between the makers and markets if vital to the future of the kimono.
In Japan, where fashion is perhaps faster than anywhere else, the kimono provides an alternative, an oppositional stand: slow, rooted, and authentic as opposed to fast anonymous, and ephemeral, an option that is beginning to look transnational and also embodies Japaneseness. Longer lasting, rooted in time and space, kimono is the quintessential art for wearing. Kimono weares have always known tht fashion is all about how you put yourselft together, and it is this knowledge that puts them and their kimono style at the heart of what fashion is all about. Let the kmono revolution roll on!
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Here is very symbolic thing, we meet Berber san ( she appears in the book too) once in a while, and we talked about Kimonotte, our website to produce new kimono using vintage design. She showed us one of her obi and a piece of fabric she likes which we might like to use the design for new obi and kimono. The design was really fresh and inspiring for us-isn't it so interesting? The vintage obi from Japan was found by a kimono lover (she is an artist) and went to the Netherlands and came back to become a new obi, to be worn both by Japanese and non-Japanese. As Sheila san mentioned, kimono world is supported by kimono lovers, there is no boundaries between countries nor the difference of the position, you do not have to be a specialist with a long time experience in kimono industory.
Sheila san mentiones about the role of internet for creaters, for sellers (like us) and the kimono community who enabled to learn how to wear kimono and became great creaters. We were so happy to find many customers' names and photos (and also the names of authors of refference books too)
The photos of the book is so wonderful. You can see many inspiring fashion photos and can have the idea what is going on with kimono at present time.
When I watch SF movies, I find people wearing tight clothing with monotone and not decorative , they all look same. Is that our future fashion? Don't you think you like to be `colorful?' The world which people wearing favorite style in all kinds of colors-don't you think it will be much more fun?
The book was really inspiring. IF you cannnot find the book, it will cost the international postage (and the cost of the book )but we will be happy to get a copy for you.
The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present (Dress, Body, Culture)
- 作者: Sheila Cliffe
- 出版社/メーカー: Bloomsbury Academic
- 発売日: 2017/03/23
- メディア: ペーパーバック
- この商品を含むブログを見る
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.696
#331946 $68.00
Dear Newsletter readers,
Konnichiwa, this is Mari.
It is one of my important duties at Ichiroya to answer all the questions from our
customers via email. The most frequently asked question could be "How to take care
of kimono".
I usually answer "Don't wash kimono at home with water. Your kimono will shrink!
Dry cleaning is the best way to take care of it." In Japan, professional cleaners
know how to clean kimono. So, we ask them to do so. However, Japanese women used
to wash kimono at home. Our grandmothers' generation was doing it as a part of
their daily life.
I wear kimono often. It costs me a lot to bring my kimono to cleaners.
I was always wondering if I can wash my kimono at home. Today, I would like to
share my "washing kimono at home" experience with you!
Are you ready to read my experimental article?
First of all, I researched on "How to wash kimono at home".
Many articles say that Hitoe(not lined) kimono can be washed at home. The reason
why is that you don't have to worry about different shrinkage of the outside and
lining. It is very hard to keep the length and width of the both fabrics after
washing. If one side shrunk and the other didn't, then the bottom of your kimono
get sag. So, let's forget about washing "Awase"(lined) kimono at home.
Then, I found that Hitoe Oshima Tsumugi is the easy one to wash at home. There are
a couple of good reasons why we can wash Oshima Tsumugi by ourselves.
1) The yarn is not twisted like Chirimen (crepe) silk. So that, it doesn't shrink
like other twisted yarn when it gets wet.
*The worst thing which happens to your kimono after washing is shrinking. The
twisted yarns try to get to original straight yarn when they get wet. The move
makes your kimono shrink.
2) Oshima Tsumugi have been rinsed in the water hundreds times in the process of
making a bolt. So, it is OK to soak it in water!
Those reasons totally made sense to me.
Then, I bought a white hitoe(not lined) Oshima Tsumugi at Ichiroya. See the top photo, that is my favorite white Oshima Tsumugi
It had some flaws such as stains. Those minor flaws don't bother me to wear the
elegant white Oshima at all. I wore it during the last Hitoe season many times. I
got so many compliments every time I wore the Oshima. The cost performance is 100
times better than those fast fashion brand names! YES!
Now, it's a cleaning time! I'm nurvous yet very excited to wash my kimono at home
for the first time!
1) I put red stitches around those noticeable stains to target them.
There are three noticeable stains on the right chest, middle and hem of the left
front panel.
2) I measured it by myself. The measurement was the same as the item direction
page. I wanted to compare the size before and after washing.
3) I put cold water in the bathtub.
4) I put shampoo in the water and stir. I know that silk is protein, just like our
hair. Hmmmmm. Then, shampoo is the perfect detergent for silk! YES! It happened to
be organic, but not neccesary. Organic shampoo sounds good, and makes me feel
better to wash my kimono, doesn't it? Hahaha!
5) Then, finally I soak my white Oshima tsumugi in the shampoo mixed water!
6) I pressed my Oshima on and on and on. I pressed a little bit hard on those
stains. At this point, I got high on kimono washing! I was like "YES! I'm washing
my kimono at home! YES!". hahaha!
7) After pressing it for hundreds times, I folded and pressed it to drain water.
Can you see the color of water in the bathtub before and after washing my kimono
in it? It got a little bit dirty, didn't it?
8) I left my bathroom with wet kimono. I placed it in between large towels, and
stepped on it to roughly dry it.
9) After that, I hung it on a pole for a couple of hours to dry.
10) Before it was totally dried out, I started to iron it to prevent to get
unnecessary wrinkles. I put "Tenugui" cotton fabric over my kimono while ironing.
My iron says that the temperature should be at lowest level for silk.
I followed the direction at the begining. However, almost no wrinkle was stretched
at the lowest temperature level. I gradually heated it up. Most of time while I
was ironing, I stayed at level 4 which is for cotton. I even brought it up to the
highest level to iron those thick areas such as collars.
I was able to stretched most of the wrinkles. Well, if I were better at ironing, I
could eliminate all the wringles though... I did my best, and I'm very happy with
the result.
Oh, don't forget about measurement! I measured all the parts. It wasn't shrunk at all!
11) Let's compare before and after washing those stains!
What do you think?
Well, to me, there is no dramatic difference in between any of them. They may be
just a little bit less noticeable than before.
They may be too old to take them off by myself. One thing I could have done is putting extra
stain remover on those spots. However, I'm happy with the result. I think all the
dusts and sweats were removed. At least I proved that I can wash my kimono at home.
Thank you for the reading long article.
If you wash your kimono at home, please do so at your own risk! Me and Ichiroya
are not responsible for any results!
出島「ぺっぴん」きもの展＊＊＊魅惑のアンティーク着物コレクション展 in 長崎
イチロウヤをご覧の皆様、アンティーク着物をお好きな皆様
ご案内させていただいておりました、長崎のアンティーク着物コレクターの田川様のアンティーク着物コレクション展に行ってまいりました。
これほどの数のアンティーク着物が一同に、しかもほとんどみんなトルソーに着付けてあり、あの良き時代の人々がどんなにおしゃれを楽しんだか・・・生き生きとしたカタチで見ることができました。
贅を尽くした着物と帯の数々は、時間も手間も惜しまずに1点1点作られており、デザインといい、手の仕事といい、遠くから見て圧倒！近くでみて感激！の連続でした。
3日間の開催期間で長崎市長やオランダ大使をはじめ 4百人ものお客さまが訪れたそうです。
今回はそのコレクションの一部をご紹介。今回ご紹介しきれなかったアイテムについてもまた後日お見せ出来ればと思っております。
ひらり！牛若丸と弁慶
優雅な舟遊び図の裾引き
あの昔話の舌切雀が、美しい染めのきものに
雀の娘のなんとも可愛い着物姿
SEASIDE・・・魚網にリアルな貝 スタイリッシュ
そうです、海辺ですので 浦島太郎の帯です
ack of Urashima taro obi
躍動感溢れるトビウオのアンティーク夏着物と 竜宮城帯 海辺のコーナー
艶やかな楊貴妃の着物に、帯も実はざくろとコウモリの大変凝ったもの
となりの中国の味わいの帯をあわせることも
粋な 蜘蛛の巣模様の着物と帯 蝶と葉っぱが妖しさをくわえます
遊びごころと贅を尽くしたきものたち
蓮の着物はよく見ると大ぶりの金魚が・・・ふとした動きで目に留まる高度なおしゃれ！ 帯の鴨の目はガラスがはいっていて入場者の方々から驚きの声が
雷神と番傘模様、ヨットとかもめ 昔の方のおしゃれゴコロに頭がさがります
こんなコーデで、女性たちが楽しげに闊歩していたのでしょう
後ろには長ーいこん棒も染められた 豆を投げられる鬼の姿が
そうそうたる刺繍の帯たち 帆船はペンテと呼ばれる染めの帯
後ろにも果物とレースの帯が
このオウムの帯は忘れられない帯
バラの着物と合わせていただき感激です
またまた手の込んだ刺繍帯たち 切りビロードの手法も用いられています
これだけは織の着物 出島ですのでやっぱりチューリップのコーディネート
アール・デコのコーディネートのコーナー 帯留めにはアコーディオンが！
レアな戦争のモチーフ 帯には平和を願い鳩がいます
幻のオリンピックの開催を願って作られたと思われる帯です
これをアートと言わずして、なんといいましょうか
コーディネートにはタイトルがちゃんとついています
お正月には駒と羽子板がつきもの！
一番印象的なタイトル「半玉さんの恋」
幼く可愛い少女がこの着物を着ているところが目に浮かぶようです
＊＊＊そして このコレクション展を可能にしたのがこの中央のきものーーー大胆な構図の「南蛮渡来図」の振り袖です。この着物こそ長崎にあるべき着物、そして長崎の方々に見ていただきたいという熱い思いからこの出島でのコレクション展が実現したという経緯があります。
そして左右の孔雀の着物はそれぞれ出処は違いますが、見つけてくださった田川様のおかげでこうやって揃って圧巻の展示となりました。緑の方は振袖で石楠花があしらわれ、飛騨市のオレンジの着物（こちらは訪問着）菊です。いわば春と秋のモチーフで作られたほぼ同じ構図の姉妹たち。何年も別の場所にいたものがここで会することになりました。
こんな着物があったなんてと 新鮮な驚きのお客様も多数いらっしゃいました。
これまでたくさん着物をみてきましたが、あの独特の良き時代の着物たちが こんなにいきいきとーーおしゃれを競っていた女性たちの楽しそうな声が聞こえてきそうなーー躍動感溢れる感激のコレクション展を開催してくださったことに感謝しつくせません。
レアなアンティークの 本やウェブ上だけでは感じられない「本物」の迫力にふれることのできた貴重なコレクション展、またの開催を望んでやみません。
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.695
Konnichiwa everyone! This is Yoko writing this week's newsletter. Ogenki desuka?
Our Golden Week holiday was really nice with lots of sunshine and blue sky. How was your weekend?
I did not go anywhere special just stayed locally, worked in my garden and did lots of weeding.. (sore)
And of course being a chauffeur to my kids between schools and the house.
Marin tagged along each time. She is such a wonderful companion. :)
But you know what many people enjoy during the Golden Week holiday? People enjoy Bar-be-que!! (BBQ)
You find groups of people and families getting together at a park, near a river, or by the beach enjoying BBQ!
I think we were invited to total of four BBQs during the holiday. (enough...)
My son even attended one in the morning and one in the afternoon, tough kid!
Here is a photo of us at a friends' place enjoying BBQ.
What do people enjoy in your country during a long holiday? (curious!)
When I was a child during each holiday, I remember my parents took my brother and I to many places.
They took us to skiing in winter and beach in summer. (grateful!)
From reading Nanae's newsletter I even remembered that they took us to Mt. Fuji when I was 12 or 13.
The trip was not to watch from far, but to climb to the top!!
We stayed a night at a small cabin near the top and woke up when the sky was still dark, I remember my mom felt sick, so she stayed at the cabin.
So three of us headed to the top in the dark.
My brother was whining and nagging from all the walking, and my dad was cranky from listening to my brother complain.
I was tired but really excited, so I headed myself to the top alone with whining brother behind. (This is my older brother talking!)
I reached the top just in time for Goraiko(sun rise).
The view from the top was stunning!, even my brother was happy to feel the accomplishment to be at the top of the highest mountain in Japan!
Now that I am older, I do not think I can climb the Mt. Fuji without any proper preparation!!
Arigato, Otooosan!
Mt. Fuji is grand! I conquered it!!
No wonder motif of Mt. Fuji often used on Kimono or men's haori lining, it gives us inspiration and motivation!!! yeah!!
Arigato gozaimasu for reading.
Wishing all a happy weekend!
Vintage kimono photos (Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.694)
Dear Ichiroya news letter readers,
Ohayogozaimasu, good morning from Yuka. It is Monday morning(May 08th) and we are all back from the Golden Week holidays.
I apologize you regarding the newsletter No. 694 which was sent you about 6 hours ago.
The photos of Akemi san's awesome vintage kimono collection was not seen because of my fault.
Here are the photos, and I really hope you can enjoy seeing them, because the collection includes so many RARE and AWESOME pieces which she collected in about 20 years. Some are from us, some are not, but they are all so valuable and rare.
These are only part of her collection. I wish I could show them all and hope to have a chance to write about her collection again.
Please take a look at the photos, you will see why I am so excited.
Top: Ushiwakamaru and Benkei
Down: Enchanting susohiki with funaasobi scenery
Old folk tale `Shitakir suzume', can you see the sparrow obidome too?
Shitakiri suzume obi
Fish net and shells kimono with another falk tale Urashimataro motif obi
Back of Urashima taro obi
Fabulous `tobiuo' flying fish kimono, yes it is also vintage. You can see Ryugujo castle obi too (Ryugujo is from Urashimataro story).
Beautiful Yokihi (Princess Yang Kwei-fei), and obi from Chinese atmosphere
Spider web and butterflies-the obi and kimono were meant to be together!
Unique vintage `luxury' kimono! She was showing the woven goldfish pattern of lotus kimono and glass eyes of the duck on the most impressive embroidered obi.
The visitors were so amazed by the work.
Enchanting harmony of kimono and obi matched by Akemi san
Supreme vintage obi collection, embroideries weaving and paint
Embroidered parrot, the most unforgettable obi
Heavy embroidered obi (on the right) and kabuki motif obi with embroideries and cut velvet
Embroidered tulips on obi and meisen kimono
Art Deco collection, see the obidome too
War motif kimono and Olympic pattern obi (very rare)
Impressive painting like summer kimono
Oshogatsu coordination, see the obidome with hagoita too
April coordination, she named this matching `Hangyoku san's Love''(Hangyoku is an apprentice of Maiko). She put hlarious title for some of the coordination.
Domo arigato gozaimasu for seeing the photos. I really wanted to share them with you.
Yuka
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.694
On April 29th, I travelled to Nagasaki to visit Akemi san's vintage kimono collection.
Nagasaki is really far from Osaka(about five hours taking shinkansen) but I really wanted to go, and was so looking forward to see this exhibition.
She has been a vintage kimono collector almost 20 years. She was inspired by Ikeda Shigeko, who is the most well-known kimono collector. Ikedasan is very famous (I think most vintage kimono fan in Japan know about her), but Akemi san's collection also is awesome.
I met Akemi san for the first time but I felt like I have met her before. She had this plan of showing her collection for a long time and this time finally, her dream came true at the classic building at Dejima in Nagasaki. Dejima is an unique and historical area
About Dejima:
Here is the flier of her kimono collection-
The photo on top of this artcile shows three kimono in her collection. The furisode in the center with the exceptional design is the work from Daihiko, the most famous kimono dye company and do you recognize the motif? It is Nanban toraizu, showing the scene of trading with merchants from Spain and Portugal and those byobu screen with Nanban traizu motif have been made in the end of 16th century to 17th century.
This particula vintage furisode has this Nanban toraizu with bold cloud and other eccentric design. She found this furisode on the net and thought this should come back to Nagasaki! Actually, this kimono became a decisive punch - she wanted to use the room in Dejima which is owned by Nagasaki city but at the beginning they were not willing to let her use the room. Akemi san made a presentation showing this particular kimono along with her wonderful collection and they gave her the permission to use the room.
Also please notice the design of the two kimono in the same photo with Nanban toraizu furisode. You can see the two kimono so alike! Akemi san found the green furisode first and then noticed the orange one also with the peacock from our store. One is furisode and the other is houmongi(shorter sleeves) but she noticed they were almost the same design! The green one has rhodorendron and the orange one has chrysanthemum, so we may be able to say they are like sisters, two kimono made for spring and autumn at the same time with the same design. She let us know before but seeing them totgether in person was such a great joy.
During the exhibition, Akemisan talked about each kimono and obi enthusiastically. Her genuine love towards vintage kimono showed straightforward, and I could see visiters gradually fascinated by her talk. Without her talk, people still could enjoy the beauty of those kimono collection but she actually showed how they were worn and appreciated by telling about the technique, seasonal design and the back gound by displaying kimono on torso. She herself was wearing charming vintage kimono too.
I hope you enjoy seeing her collection:
(I took the photo and made the album, I hope you can see the photos)
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMecn-1R11XyE1O_qySyFB5bnIhjq2Ui0LIDFKC
Akemi san says she was `bit' by the charms of vintage kimono and cannot help telling other people about the beauty. I was enchanted by Akemisan's passion and recognized again how preious and unique those vintage kimono are.
Akemisan is charming and she is really petit size, so she can wear almost all vintage kimono without any problems! There used to come Christian missionaries in Nagasaki in 15th century. I thought Akemisan is like a missionary, conveying the charms and value of vintage kimono!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.693
Dear Ichiroya newsletter readers,
Hello! This is Nagisa from Ichiroya. How have you been? My brother had came back home from Hokkaido in early April. He stayed in Osaka for a week, and most of the days were raining. On the day when he returned to Hokkaido, it snowed there even though it was middle of April. May be, he is rain bringer. (sometimes snow storm...!)
However, it's getting warmer and warmer in Osaka. Look! 400 of Koinobori are swimming(?) in the sunny sky! I took this photo last Sunday at Ishikawa river located in Tondabayashi city, but it was too calm for these Koinobori to swim. Anyway, it is perfect season to go out somewhere, don't you think so?
I may have told you before, I like to go to museums. I like three-dimensional works better than two-dimensional works. Especially, Rodin is my favorite sculptor. When I went on a trip to London, I met a book and I saw a sculpture in the book. That was 'The Cathedral' sculptured by Rodin. I was really impressed by the beauty and mysteriousness of it. Whose hands are those? Man and woman? Devil... or God? It caught my imagination ever! Someday, I hope I could see it with my own eyes at Musée Rodin in Paris.
After the London trip, I visited three museums to see some Rodin's sculptures in Japan. Hakone Open-Air Museum in Kanagawa, Clematis no Oka, and Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art in Shizuoka. Speaking of Shizuoka, as Nanae mentioned before, there is Mt.Fuji. However, I couldn't see it during the trip because of misty weather. On the contrary, I couldn't see the sea because of heavy rain when I rode a train which must run along the coastline. Here is the photo I took at Hakone Open-Air Museum.
Can you see me and my friend wearing rain coat? There are lots of classical and contemporary art works filled in nature. It was pretty good to walk around and watch art in the rain!
Why don't you go to museums in artistic Kimono? (on a sunny day!)
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Yukata:
Hitoe:we have same patter hitoe kimono(synthetic) too.[
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/363935/
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/363938/
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/363914/
In Osaka, there is a famous statue which is known as the symbol of Expo '70. It is the 'Tower of the Sun' created by Taro Okamoto. He is also a famous Japanese artist of Showa period. 'Art is an Explosion!' This phrase is one of his famous saying. Also, a new symbol of Expo '70 was born near the tower last year. It is the largest Ferris Wheel in Japan, and the 5th largest one in the world. If you ride it, you can see the Tower of the Sun from above like this!
And, its cabins floor is made of glass, so you can enjoy watching the landscape through the glassed floor!
It was raining, too. May be, I'm also loved by rain clouds! haha... Thank you for reading till the end. Have a nice Weekend!
