The kimono: Japanese designers work to make it fashionable again after worrying drop in sales
They’re hugely expensive and complicated to wear – no wonder the kimono’s popularity has dropped in fast-fashion era; young designers are adding contemporary touches, and lowering prices, to revive interest in the garment
At a century-old workshop in a quiet Tokyo neighbourhood, craftsman Yuichi Hirose brushes dye across meticulously hand-cut stencils laid on fabric, using a traditional technique to produce contemporary kimono patterns.
Demand for the elaborate, elegant centrepiece of the Japanese wardrobe is in decline, but a handful of artisans and entrepreneurs like Hirose, 39, are trying to revive it.
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“The kimono has become something that is very far removed from our daily lives,” said Hirose, who joined his family business after university.
He specialises in “Edo Komon” – a kimono pattern hand-dyed with a Japanese washi paper stencil, which dates back to the Edo period between the 17th and late 19th centuries. It’s a deeply traditional craft that requires great skill to master, he said, “but we need to create something that is accepted in this modern time”.
Hirose’s innovations include developing new designs to adorn the kimono, including tiny sharks or even skull motifs. Once a standard of the Japanese wardrobe, the kimono is now often a garment reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies, and is mostly worn by women.
