I worked with a kimono tailor, Koushin Wasai for this project. I used denim for the outer material to create this Haori (a type of Kimono). For the inner lining I used fabric printed with a design based on pictures drawn by children. I embroidered the Kimono using the printed design to inspire the positioning of the thread. When embroidering I began from the lining side of the Kimono so that some of the threads appeared on the denim outer layer.
During the Edo period(1603~1867), the shogunate issued a ban on sumptuary law to maintain the status system and instill frugality. As a result, people could not wear flashy kimonos and were forced to wear plain clothes. Over time, it became popular to have a kimono with a simple outer material but with expensive fabrics or flashy patterns on the invisible parts such as the linings and undershirts.
My work is inspired by this historical period hardship, connecting it to the present struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in this case, the extravagant lining bleeds into the outer kimono, symbolic of the hope and connections fostered across communities during the pandemic.
