Wednesday, November 16, 2011

WHERE will I put all this?!

Hello Everyone,

I've been waiting on a few big boxes full of kimono greatness for some time now, so of course when I went to the post office today, and park far away from the door, two of those boxes choose to arrive. Thankfully I had a friend with me who helped to carry one of those boxes. :)


Yup, the Obi Bundle of DOOOOOOOOOOOM had finally arrived! It sure took it sweet time, but I wasn't too worried because I knew that anything other than Priority mail takes a while to get to me.

The other box was from Shinei, and here is what was inside:

Meiji tsuke obi

Chuya obi

Funky komono


This one is extra puurrrrty!


My second furisode! 




Furisode juban

Kimono coat
Have you gotten anything new lately?

~ Lyuba

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Kimono Challenge Tag #10 Biggest Kimono Inspiration

Hello Everyone, 


Today's post is a fun one! It's pretty easy for me to narrow down where I draw the inspiration for my kimono style, however I still end up doing "my own" thing at the end. Some people even said that I have my own kimono style, and while it might be true, I still didn't get there on my own. I looked at these people for inspiration. 


Mamechiyo Modern: 
When I first saw their style, I was blown away. Kimono with modern prints?! OMG please sign me up! I loved everything about this style, the accessories, the colors, the SHOES! I know that when I go to Japan, one of my stops will be in Mamechiyo's store. 





I'm pretty sure this is the image that sent me looking for a cape for kimono.


Motoki Okimono Kimono: 
I randomly came across the Japanese version at a local comic book store, and while it was pretty overpriced, I didn't care and HAD TO HAVE IT! Everything in that book just screamed "Lyuba" to me, if only I could read it. Thankfully, the book was published in English too, so now I have both version. 






KimonoHIME: 
Oh KimonoHIME, I obsess over your style. While some of the coordinations are a little out there for me, I still love them. This is where I figured that I too can wear Western shoes with my kimono, and got some ideas on what kind of shoes and how to wear them best. And the hats and accessories! Unfortunately I only have 2 magazines so far, but I'm looking for more! I will have them all! :)






Yumi Yamamoto: 
Imagine meeting someone who basically embodied YOUR kimono style. That pretty much happened to me when I met Yumi at the Japanese Art Festival in 2010. The festival itself was ok, but it was so much better because Yumi was there! She love combining traditional and modern, and has some wicked accessories. I also love her footwear designs. I keep telling her that I was made to be her model ;P and only wish I could wear her designs again. :) 





What are your biggest kimono inspirations? 


~ Lyuba


1. How did you discover and got into kimono? 
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s) (not counting jubans, datejimes etc.).
4. Your least used kimono item(s).

5. Your favourite coordination(s) so far.
6. What do you like and don't like about kimono. 
7. Kimono confessions. Did you know that... 
8. Your dream kitsuke items (or at least items you really really want but can't get for whatever reason).
9. Your biggest kimono fears. 
10. Your biggest kimono inspiration. 
11. Your kimono collection. 
12. The evolution of your kitsuke.

13. Your special kimono memory. 

Monday, November 14, 2011

Kimono Challenge Tag #9

Hello Everyone, 


My biggest kimono fear is to get a stain on, because I wouldn't know how to clean it off :( I've had a kimono that accidentally got stained at a festival, and I almost got in a fight with a friend over it. Stupid really, because it wasn't really her fault as much as it was BOTH our faults. Since then, I haven't touched that kimono. Yup, discrimination! But I don't want to be seen in a stained kimono, and since I don't know how to clean silk.... off into "unloved" pile it went. 


My other fear is for my obi to come untied because I probably would have a hard time re-tying it completely back in place without a mirror. I know the easy fix for that, PRACTICE, but still! Before I even get to the point of getting somewhere and tying it, I have to suffer the embarrassment of my obi hanging behind me... and that happened, and I don't want a repeat. 


What's your fears? 


~ Lyuba


1. How did you discover and got into kimono? 
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s) (not counting jubans, datejimes etc.).
4. Your least used kimono item(s).

5. Your favourite coordination(s) so far.
6. What do you like and don't like about kimono. 
7. Kimono confessions. Did you know that... 
8. Your dream kitsuke items (or at least items you really really want but can't get for whatever reason).
9. Your biggest kimono fears. 
10. Your biggest kimono inspiration. 
11. Your kimono collection. 
12. The evolution of your kitsuke.

13. Your special kimono memory. 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Lyuba's Guide to Starting a Kimono de Jack

Hello Everyone,

Kimono de Jack is taking the world by storm. Well, at least the kimono world. Either way, when it started back in 2010, only 11 people showed up. Now, there seem to be more than one KDJ in every prefecture in Japan, with people showing up in HUNDREDS! Oh how I wish I lived in Japan to attend of their Kimono de Jack. I've never seen that many people in kimono in one place at one time, and I think the experience would be amazing!



Although most of us, Westerners, don't live in Japan, it doesn't mean that we can't have our own Kimono de Jack in whatever country we live in. I started one in UK, and once I leave, I'm pretty sure I will be starting another one in whichever place we end up. So this is my guide on what to do. Take it with the grain of salt though, because YOUR situation might be different than mine (and because all of these are my opinions, and don't necessarily mean that you will agree with me).

Kimono de Jack is an event for people who love kimono and need more reasons to wear it.

1. If you find yourself thinking "Oh how cool, UK has KDJ. New York City has KDJ. I wish SOMEONE would start a KDJ in MY area!!!", stop thinking that and START ONE! 
Yup, be the one to do it! Even if you have no friends, and know of no kimono enthusiasts in your area. Kimono de Jack is meant to be just another reason to wear kimono, so wear kimono, call it KDJ, go hang out in the bookstore or whatever place you like to hang out at. If you do it often and regularly, people will start asking questions and who knows, maybe you will meet new kimono enthusiasts that way. I know I did back when I lived in FL, and spend all my free time in the bookstore and I didn't even try to start any KDJ.

2. Contact Akagi Mihiro, the founder, and get his official permission.
You can find him on FB, or on his website KimonoJack although it is in Japanese and I'm not sure if it has a "contact me" button. Either way, it's not that hard to get a hold of him and he will be ecstatic for another foreign KDJ, trust me!

3. Agree to follow three simple rules:
- Do not try to sell anything at Kimono de Jack.
- Do not use KDJ as platform for discussing or promoting religion or politics.
- Let the headquarters (aka Akagi Mihiro) know about your events (see #5).

4. Create twitter account (and add all the foreign KDJs, because I'm tired of my twitter feed being filled with Japanese, which I don't understand - optional to add me, but highly encouraged).
The very first KDJ was advertised on twitter, and I believe it is still used as the main advertising platform. So by getting a twitter account, you're following the tradition set by the Mighty 11!

5. Create a Facebook group. 
This is actually optional, but chances are your KDJ will never reach hundreds of people, so FB offers a nice way of organizing events and interacting with the members. It is also a nice way of letting Akagi know about your events, because you can just add him to the group and voila, he will get automatically invited to every event!

6. Create a blog and a website, and update it before and after each event. 
I consider this to be very important, because your blog will reach people who might not have Facebook. It will probably show up in searches too. And you can point people you've just met to your blog, instead of FB (because what if they don't have or don't want a FB account?).


7. Decide on how often you want to hold KDJ.
I admit, I am hung up on the once a month thing, but that's just me. You don't have to do it that way, you can have it once every 3 month, or twice a year. I also have to admit that I strongly believe that KDJ should be more than once a year, because holding it just once a year doesn't leave that strong of an impact. People forget, and you want to keep KDJ out there and fresh in memory.



8. Decide on a place to meet.
Yes, YOU decide on a place to meet. Don't wait for other to do it, don't even ask their opinion because you will never get a definite answer. At least do it for the first KDJ, to get things started. After you get a group of people that you know you can count on, then ask. Until then, it's all on you.


9. Get a business card and carry it with you EVERYWHERE!
I have both business cards and postcards made for KJD, and I carry them everywhere with me. I can't tell you how many times I had an opportunity to start a conversation about kimono, or KDJ, or Japan, and at the end I just hand out my business card so people could follow up if they wanted. Or contact us.

Here is the design for our postcard. The business card is the same, except smaller, but I find postcards work better for giving out at events because they are bigger. And because they are bigger, they have more space to write on the back!


If you want that creepy monkey logo, you can ask Akagi to email it to you. Or you can ask me and I will be happy to pass it on.

10. Prepare to be disappointed. 
People will not show up, that's all there to it. Even people that expressed OMG I WOULD LOVE TO COME WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE will just leave you hanging out by yourself. I've had to hang out with just me, myself, and Starbucks once, and yes, I was upset. It taught me a lesson. So now I don't go to that area anymore, and instead just plan on either specifically hanging out on my own (because KDJ can be with just ONE person), or make sure that at least some of our regular people can get to the area.

11. Prepare to commit. 
If you are the organizer, BE THERE! At least at the beginning, when you just starting things out. I don't go to every KDJ now because some of them are just too far away from me, but I know that my other group members will be there for sure. Until you get to the point of where you can count on other people, it is all on you to show up. Even if you experience #10.

12. Don't plan KDJ just around Japanese events in your area.
 I admit that it is easier to do it if your KDJ is only twice a year, but if you decide to go hardcore like me and have it every month, chances are you will run out of the events to go to. If that's the case, then go to NON-Japanese events, or don't go to any events and just hang out in kimono and take photos.

13. Become friends with the Japanese organizations in your area. 
Ask if they will let you leave some business cards there, get on their mailing lists to get all the latest info, talk non-stop about kimono and KDJ, etc...

14. Get in the habit of searching your city's events calendar and keep an eye out for any possible places to go.
Even if they are not Japanese (see #12).

15. DON'T GIVE UP AND KEEP GOING!

That's all I have for now. If you think I need to add anything else, or just have a comment about this guide, just let me know :)

~ Lyuba