About Kimono Harmony
Take a piece of Japan
with you wherever you go!
Our mission at Kimono Harmony is to help create a new demand for traditional kimono products, in order to preserve the market for traditional Japanese garments.
We create gorgeous timeless products using traditional Japanese artisanal materials. Our designs are crafted with the utmost care using authentic handmade kimono and obi fabric. We believe we can redefine “old fashion” by transforming recycled kimono products: renew the past, celebrate the present, and save the future!
Each of our products is unique and special, handmade with love and passion for both the art and our customers. We hope that you will enjoy the aesthetics of our materials and express yourself through our quality pieces that are built to last a lifetime.
Our Mission
Our Story
Kimono Harmony was founded by a mom and daughter team. When her grandmother passed away, Mom received many of her grandmother’s luxurious kimonos and obis. However, since kimonos are now worn only on special occasions in modern Japan, the exquisite items had to be put away in a Japanese kimono chest.
Little Leah, around 8 years of age, watched Mom take lessons on how to wear a kimono -it’s very complicated! That’s when Leah saw how beautiful kimonos were. Although she was sad that her mother only wore a kimono about once a year, she also understood that it was not easy to dress in a kimono and why people chose not to wear them on a daily basis.
Time passed, and Mom and Leah moved to California from Tokyo when Leah was 10 years old. Leah had to work hard to learn English and felt stressed, so she wanted to make time to do things she enjoyed. Leah had a love for making things. She was a little artist, and became absorbed in taking sewing lessons.
One day, Leah suggested to Mom, "It would be great if we could transform the kimonos into something you can take with you everywhere. That way, you can look at them and think of Grandma all the time." The mother loved the idea and gave Leah some kimonos and obis. Leah's teacher taught her how to work with Japanese kimono materials, which can sometimes be tricky. Together, they created different patterns and products that would fit into modern lifestyles.
Today, Leah is the creator of all the products offered by Kimono Harmony. She continues to come up with new ideas to help people appreciate the beauty of kimonos. Although she is still learning, she is very passionate about the idea of creating pieces made from precious Japanese artifacts that people can carry with them.
Leah (age 7), big sis, and Mom
one of Leah's first creations
A kimono is a traditional Japanese garment which was worn every day in the past. An obi is like a belt worn over the kimono to hold it in place.
As Western clothing became more popular in Japan during the Meiji era, kimonos fell out of fashion because of its impracticalities. In addition, kimonos are very expensive, often over several thousand dollars, as they are handmade over a long period of time with masters who have special skills and craftsmanship.
We believe the kimono culture is an important symbol of Japan’s national identity and history, representing the history and values of the country. There are many special patterns, which are not only an expression of style but also a way to honor and show respect for the ceremonies and rituals originating from ancient times.
People no longer wear kimonos on a daily basis, so nowadays, there are many luxurious products, made with amazing skills and craftsmanship, that are never worn. In many cases, they get disposed when the owner passes away. This breaks our hearts! These are handcrafted artifacts that may have cost over $10,000!
There are companies in Japan now that buy these products for a fraction of the original price and sell them to kimono rental stores. The kimonos are then enjoyed generally by tourists. That's one way to solve the problem! We also want to shed light to the gorgeous products without owners, and play a part to solve the problem in our own unique way.
Our Love for Traditional Craftsmanship
Our Logo
Kimono Harmony's logo is inspired by the Japanese character "和" (wa), which means "Japanese" and "harmony." Our logo designer was tasked with creating a visual representation of a happy customer on the left and expressing the beauty of our products on the right. The sakura (cherry blossom), which is recognized as the national flower of Japan, is featured on the right side of the logo to symbolize the beauty of our products.
At Kimono Harmony, we source our kimonos and obis from a network of "recycled kimono stores" in Japan. Many of the recycled kimonos and obis are completely brand new and have been kept at home for an extended period of time. Typically, they were purchased by an older generation, perhaps for their daughter or granddaughter, who never had a chance to wear them and eventually brought them to a second-hand store. These products, all handmade, may have initially cost well over $10,000.
Our mission is to transform these art pieces into more casual items so people in the US can enjoy them. We hope to indirectly support the kimono and obi artists to continue their passion for creating beautiful artifacts, and to support businesses in the kimono industry. Our ultimate goal is to preserve the Japanese tradition and culture of kimonos for future generations by circulating these products in the ecosystem.