October is here! Although I share my creations daily on my instagram stories, I thought it would be nice to write a proper blog post as a wrap up of what I made.

Pouches as gift

This is a great way to use small scraps and as the Holiday season quickly approaches, I can see myself making more and more of these pouches! I usually put some small goodies inside when I give them as a gift. Depending on who I give one to I’ll add things like snacks, nail polish or socks.

三角ポーチ　帯 — Triangle shaped pouch, which will be available at Kimono Revival pop up shop in Osaka on 10/17.

着物帯を使った化粧ポーチ — With the same bubble gum pink color obi, I made a square pouch for a friend for a birthday. Perfect to put some cosmetic items and small jewelreis like these gold rings!

蛙柄　小学生ポーチ　テッシュ入れ — These are for children, to put some kids’ essentials like hand towels, bandaids and tissue. The frog character comes from a children’s book called “９９９ひきのきょうだい“.

Uchikake dresses

I have been upcycling used kimonos for a while, but this summer, I had a few opportunities to use a different type of kimono called Uchikake. Uchikake is a highly formal kimono worn only by brides or at a stage performances. Now that many weddings in Japan have become westernized, you will see fewer brides wearing Uchikake. The Uchikake is often heavily brocaded. You can just think of it as a special type of kimono, made of obi type fabric. It’s heavy and has a full of texture. It makes a great dress for special occasions, like beauty contests, black tie events or musical performances.

金色　打掛　着物ドレス — Mermaid dress made of Gold uchikake kimono.

Green uchikake kimono dress, shot by a talented photographer, Solane Ballesta.

グリーン　打掛　着物ドレス — Photo by Solane Ballesta.

I fund this bright red uchikake kimono at a local kimono shop and even haggled with a shop owner! This dress will be displayed at my next exhibition, starting on 10/30 at Nikko Hotel in Daiba. More info here.

Polyester kimono dresses

In the summer, a very generous person contacted me to donate some their kimonos. Apparently they used to be used as rentals, but due to a change in the business, they were no longer needed. They were contemporary kimono made with polyester material. Although I enjoy the luxury feel of silk 100% kimonos, for a daily use, polyester kimonos are perfect! You can wash them in a washing machine and are, in general, very easy to care for. Here are a few dresses and jumpsuit I made using the donated kimonos.