Here’s Where You Can Shop Kimono-Made Items Straight From Japan!

If we could buy all the elegant kimonos we ever laid eyes on, then we’d probably have a huge pile in our houses. But authentic kimonos can be quite expensive, and we wouldn’t even have a lot of occasions to wear them. Even the Japanese often find their kimonos untouched inside their closets and are unable to use these traditional clothes to their true potential. So, what’s the next best step? 

Well, Japanese entrepreneurs have come up with smart innovations: They utilise unused or old kimono fabrics to decorate items that are a part of the modern lifestyle. This makes it easier for kimono admirers to show their appreciation for kimonos on a day to day basis, and it finally solves a local problem of what to do with unused kimonos. What’s more, kimono lovers can buy kimono-made items online and straight from Japan. Here are a few shops to look at!

Also read: Tom Daley Shows Off His Finished Tokyo Olympic Knitted Cardigan!

1.  Face masks from I was a kimono

I was a kimono is a Nippo-Italian concept founded by Italian designer Cristina Morini. The business aims to give a second life to classic Japanese fabric that was once used for vintage kimonos. They sell accessories and home decorations, but the stars of the shop would have to be the yukata cotton masks and the vintage kimono masks, which all come in various designs, from floral to traditional patterns. 

The outer fabrics are made up of 100% kimono silk while the inner fabrics are made up of 100% Japanese cotton. The masks come with soft anti-irritant elastics too. Shop these kimono-made items in Japan here. 

2. Household items from Tatsumiya Asakusa Tokyo

Created 80 years ago, Tatsumiya is now run by a third-generation owner who has combined the modern lifestyle with the traditional beauty of Japan. Now, the business is called Asakusa Tatsumiya, which specialises in using kimono fabrics for tapestries, pillow cushions, table runners, and tumblers. 

You can’t go wrong with these products as the manufacturers carefully pick out the most beautiful part of a kimono to incorporate in the designs. Shop these kimono-made items here. 

3. Kimono caps from W@nderFabric

W@nderFabric is a Japanese fashion brand that wants to colour the streets of Japan with vibrant kimonos once again. Though they can’t achieve this by selling traditional kimonos, they can still fulfil it to a certain degree by stitching kimono fabrics upon caps — an everyday fashion piece that’s effortless to wear.

Like other entrepreneurs, W@nderFabric is all about upcycling kimonos so that they won’t lie sleeping in old chests. Shop these kimono-made items here.

Also read: Japan Created a Kimono for Every Nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics!

Kimonos are truly one of the best symbols of Japan and every possible design can speak to the artistry of different cultures and people too. Seeing kimono fabrics reinterpreted into modern-day things makes it easier for everyone to enjoy and appreciate Japanese culture, even if we can’t travel to Japan right now.

While we’re waiting for border restrictions to lift amidst the pandemic, why not get yourselves some kimono-made items? These online shops ship internationally!