April 24, 2007

• KIMONO

  Cherish the Old, Know the New: Onko Chishin: Kimono no Saisei – A Kimono Renaissance Thursday, April 19 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm Samsung Hall $7 members, $19 general (includes museum admission) Tickets available beginning March 19: online or in person at the Admission Desk Artistand designer Nobuaki Tomita is one of Japan's most influential kimonoproducers and stylists. Tomita moves in a fast paced world ofcontemporary fashion and Japanese movie stars. His work is dedicated torecreating traditional Japanese costume for period dramas anddeveloping new fashions using traditional textiles to support the workof endangered artisans. In this presentation, Tomita will displayseveral ensembles authentically representing different periods ofJapanese fashion, from the days of Prince Genji more than 1000 yearsago, to the high style of Geisha, to the dress of contemporary women,as represented by characters in Japanese NHK television serial morning"dramas." Tomita will speak in Japanese and english interpretation willbe provided. This program is presented in celebration of the 40thanniversary of San Francisco Japantown's Cherry Blossom Festival.

  so almost 2 years ago was our wedding... and i wore a kimono druing the reception that was a gift from my father's cousin (we visit them every year we go to japan)... during the wedding, so many people came up to him and complimented him on the kimono...and that's when he realized not just japanese people liked kimono..and got him excited about showing people how kimono is worn and made, etc....anyway...today was the above mentioned shows...my dad's cousin brought over all these people from japan to show how kimono's are worn, and just about all sorts of things... and answered lots of questions at both shows... at the same time... since they had a special kimono dresser and hair stylist... he wanted to dress me in my kimono again!

  
  getting hair done by the hair stylist....and kimono dresser putting on the finishing touches...

  i now know how my kimono was made!  the lower portion was woven with this special threads that resisted the blue dye...and then the patterns on the "sleeves" were painted/stenciled on....

  the show was awesome..so many different kimonos... it was pretty long but it went by pretty quickly... i'll just go over some highlights..

  

  in the beginning he showed this piece of cloth... and then he gave it to this seamstress to do.... and in about an hour or so she completed a rough version of a kimono

    
  women dressing themselves on the sides as geisha... and the middle is a woman getting dressed by the professional in maiko (geisha-in-training) kimono

  
  my dad's cousin ("uncle") and i... and the large group of everyone outside of the hall at the asian art museum

  it was definitely a fun experience... wearing my kimono again....meeting new people from japan and other places... FINALLY getting to go to the asian art museum and seeing the bamboo basket exhibit...etc.! 

  • 1:59 am
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