Why are we recycling kimono and obi materials? Of course recycling is an important way to reduce waste and preserve the environment. However, we feel like it's important to do so because recycling kimono has been a part of the Japanese culture from the ancient times. In our minds, it's one way to preserve the culture.
A kimono can be taken apart and sewn back together at any time because a kimono is made of one long piece of silk. It is never cut to fit the owner. It's always sewn neatly like an origami, so that all unneeded parts go inside the kimono. All the extra cloth stays nicely within the kimono so that when it is passed down to the next generation, the kimono can be taken apart, washed, and sewn again to match the new owner's body size. This method of construction does not produce any discarded fabric -this is how a kimono was made from the ancient times.
Yuka in her formal-wear kimono
She hasn't mastered the art of wearing a kimono perfectly, so you can see the wrinkles of the kimono near her stomache by her left arm. The extra cloth needs to be folded and tucked in. When you master the art of wearing a kimono, you shouldn't have any wrinkles. Wearing a kimono is quite difficult, which is one of the reasons why people don't wear one any more. It took Yuka 3 months of lessons to learn how to wear a kimono.
In other words, the kimono culture is based on a zero-waste philosophy! It's super eco-friendly. We are proud to share this kind of cultural mindset and create accessories from traditional Japanese garment and high quality fabrics! We find it amazing that the fabrics can be repurposed and used for other items, such as accessories, home decor, and even new clothing items.
By recycling kimono and obi, we hope we can help to preserve the cultural heritage of Japan while also protecting the planet for future generations.