こんにちは (konnichiwa)

It’s been a while so I thought I’d say hi, hello, こんにちは, 初めまして!👋😊

My name is Yuki. I was born in an artist community in rural Japan. My formative years were spent in a creative and raucous community of hippies and artists. When I was 8, my parents and I moved to pursue their dreams of living as artists in NYC. But it was tough, and they ended up leaving. I stayed on to pursue my own creative endeavors in photography and filmmaking.

I had always been interested in making clothes and took some construction classes in undergrad. I dabbled for years, until 2018, when I went off the deep end and began sewing like mad. In the fashion/ sewing world, I came across a lot of appropriative Japanese terms, especially Kimono. It brought back all the repressed anger at seeing images of “Kimonos” being sexualized, and commodified by non-Japanese in the U.S.

Made by Yuki was created out of a strong desire to reclaim ownership of my cultural heritage. An important part of my business model is education, and reorientation of what people have been told about Kimonos. (It’s a bathrobe, it’s lingerie, it’s only worn by Geisha, etc.) Instead, I want the world to recognize the beauty of Kimono textiles and appreciate the superb skills that have been passed down for generations.

Upcycled Kimono allows people to appreciate the beauty of Kimonos without putting on an actual Kimono. For Japanese diaspora, upcycled Kimono can provide a powerful way to connect to heritage. For non-Japanese, it's a way to appreciate and wear Kimono textiles without crossing the boundaries of cultural appropriation.

And it’s sustainable. 🌏

If you love Japanese goods please do your best to find out who is behind the product. If you want to learn about appropriation, please check who is writing. Lately, I’ve crossed paths with a growing community of like-minded Japanese-diaspora proudly representing our culture @little_kotos_closet @miagabb @makikohastings @sashikostory @oilandlumber @akashi_kama To me, they are like the calm at the center of all that can feel so jagged regarding cultural ownership. And that center is growing…

Thank you so much for being here, and appreciating my culture. ❤️