That is not a Kimono

This is a Kimono.

Specifically, this is a Houmongi Kimono #訪問着 which is worn on formal occasions. The design is adorned with Noshi #熨斗模様, dried strips of seaweed or fish bundled as offerings, along with chrysanthemums and plum blossoms.

Made by Yuki began as a reaction to life experiences I’ve had as a Japanese woman who spent most of her life in the U.S. All of the jumbled confusion of being subjected to ideas of submissiveness, taunts of being called “Geisha” and normalized use of Japanese words used to describe things made and sold by non-Japanese people.

Here, I will share what I’m learning about real Kimonos. Maybe you are of Japanese heritage and/or have an interest in the culture. Or maybe you just love textiles like I do. My goal is to share this special part of my culture with you, and steer you away from the commodified, sexualized, misinterpreted image of the Kimono.

The clothes I make celebrate the craft, history and traditions of Kimono textiles. They are simple and modern in design and can be worn casually or dressed up.

If you are chasing an imagined allure of the Geisha, the clothes I make are not for you.

In the west, images of Kimono are informed by Western imperialism and ideas of white sexual dominance over Japanese (Asian) women. It began in Japan’s defeat of World War II, which resulted in the U.S. occupation of Japan that lasted from 1945 to 1952. The country was in tatters after losing estimated 3 million people in battle, that ended with the only two atomic bombs ever dropped on… humans.

Utter annihilation of Japan’s economy, industry and farms, forced many Japanese women into sexual servitude. Images of women in Kimonos made their way back to the States, where it continues to take on new forms in the popular culture, especially in fashion.
The silky bathrobes made by that western designer is not a Kimono. Neither are the dropped shoulder jackets that you may be buying a sewing pattern for.

Please stop using the word Kimono to describe things that are not.

If you’re not of Japanese heritage, please stop using all Japanese words to sell products. If you make a cloth bag, don’t call it a Bento bag. If you make tie-dye cloth, don’t call it Shibori. Don’t name things after Japanese women or cities. When you appropriate our words, it perpetuates the exploitation of our culture, people and spaces.

Stop using philosophical terms like Wabi-Sabi and Mottainai if you are not Japanese. There are reasons why these words do not exist in the English language. They are concepts steeped in our culture and should not be thrown in willy-nilly into marketing campaigns. They are not your words to use.

When you normalize commodification and exploitation of cultures, the result is racism, violence, murder.

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