Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.611
Hello from Yuka. ogenki desuka? We hope you are having a nice week.
We had a week obon holiday from 13th of August and came back, fully recharged our batteries. Dozo yoroshikuonegai shimasu. We hope you enjoy browsing our new arrivals we are adding in about 6 hours.
A couple of weeks ago, we introduced a newly published book called `Kimono Now'.
As you can imagine, kimono industry is shrinking drastically, and struggling to survive.
Our friend Iuchi san is one of the top runner for the challenge and we like to introduce his obi today. In our website, we have these joint project with him with antique reprint kimono an obi.
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/207604/
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/216432/
It used to be, there were Zuan-shi, who was a specialist to draw a design for obi and makers (weavers, dyers and tailors) completed as obi. However, kimono are not worn as they used to be any more.
Iuchi san is adopting a lot of charming design to make fabulous obi-some are from Ukiyoe, some are from funky contemporary motif. His obi are eye-catching and make both the wearer and the people who see the obi smile.
Here are some obi he made--please click to see all other pages too. They are like modern art pieces.
http://sitateyasan.chicappa.jp/gofukuyasan/?product-cat=iuchi-antique&paged=1
Having design of seasonal charms - poetry in motion- is obviously one of the biggest fun part of dressing in kimono. Sometimes it is like a riddle, you can pair the motif with kimono and obi with the design from particular kabuki play, traditional story, Haiku poem and so on.
Iuchi san's obi also have such fun, finding the design from old tale or trendy figure. `KAWAII' might be the key - you can find design with cute animals(for cat lovers, his obi seem irresistible!) or KIMOKAWAII (pretty ugly!) design such as reallitic octopus or skelton:-). His obi can feel the wind of the times and satisfy people who like to dress in unique way.
In old times too, people must have competed to dress to get attention from others. Of course there have been more strict rules and people's eyes but people must have enjoyed unique fasion even in that restriction.
Kimono as a fashion, Iuchi san's challenge is great and offering kimono wearers more and more variation of dressing.
Where is kimono/obi going? Does kimono industry have future? His challenge is taking an important role in the industry.
We add valuable vintage items and also good quality old/used items and we are hoping to list unique items with degital print items in future too.
We become happy when we wear favorite color, design or motif. By wearing kimono/obi with favorite motif and taste, wearer will walk in kimono with joy and will appeal other people charms of kimono.
