Photos: Japan’s kimono makers innovate in tradition to revive demand
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. They can be hugely expensive and women often hire experts to dress them because the outfit requires seemingly endless nipping, tucking and strapping. Demand for the elaborate, elegant centerpiece of the Japanese wardrobe is in decline but a handful of artisans and entrepreneurs, using traditional techniques to produce contemporary kimono patterns, are trying to revive it.
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A model presents a creation by Japanese designer Jotaro Saito for his 2018 autumn/winter collection at Tokyo Fashion Week. A centerpiece of traditional Japanese wardrobes, the Kimono signifying ‘a thing to wear’ is a T-shaped full length robe. But the expense in buying one and the effort involved in wearing and maintaining the garment has reserved the kimono for special occasions, such as weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies. (Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP)
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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 Kimono is in decline, but a handful of artisans and entrepreneurs like Hirose, are trying to revive it. (Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP)
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Hirose specialises in “Edo Komon” -- a kimono pattern hand-dyed with a Japanese washi paper stencil, dating back to the Edo period between the 17th and late 19th centuries. His innovations include developing new designs to adorn the kimono, including tiny sharks or even skull motifs. “The kimono has become something that is very far removed from our daily lives,” said Hirose, who joined his family business after university. (Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP)
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A Japanese woman seen in a kimono in 1940. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the modern kimono industry peaked in 1975 with a market size of 1.8 trillion yen ($17 billion). But as per a survey conducted by Yano Research Institute by 2008 it had shrunk to 406.5 billion yen and further to just 278.5 billion yen in 2016. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
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