I love history, I really do. Just not the stuffy details of the American civil war, or how the Stamp Act affected the lives of colonial Americans. I like the really interesting things- like medieval history with the knights and damsels in distress, or English history, with all of that Tudor yumminess and scandal. It makes learning much more fun I found. So I was thinking- what about Japanese history? There is so much Japanese influence on the fashion world… and the history of it is rarely told. I love Memoirs of a Geisha; I was a Geisha for Halloween one year… and wore the Kimono whenever I could for the next 3 years. However, as I was thinking back, I’ve never actually learned the history of the Obi, the Kimono, or even the Geisha herself. Aha! Google. What a wonderful invention. And this is what I discovered:
-Obi- literally means “the sash” and is used to tie Kimonos, or more casual robes. They vary in length, width, and style. Some are incredible elaborate, while some are just a strip of fabric. No matter what they look like, they are crucial to the completion of the total outfit, especially for a Geisha.
-Kimono-means “thing to wear.” Like the Obi, it comes in an amazing array of styles, sizes, patterns, and colors. It is worn by both men and women, and was the traditional garment of choice for Japanese until the late 40s. Kimonos are now occasionally worn for weddings by both the bride and the groom; however, it is uncommon to see people wearing kimonos out on the streets of Japan.
-Geisha- are Japanese women who learn the art of entertainment. Their skills vary from walking, to playing the mandolin (an instrument not unlike the guitar). Geisha were very much respected in Japan, not as prostitutes (which they were NOT) but as artists. Geishas were trained in Okiyas as maiko, or apprentices, and as their skills increased, the more they entertained, traveled, or had debuts.
I had always noticed the influence of Japanese styles on fashion, especially recently. John Galliano’s spring collection from 2007 was extraordinary- from his Japanese inspired shoes, to the obis that he used in the majority of his designs. I remember flipping through February or March’s issue of Vogue, and seeing a spring shoot, which featured Louis Vuitton’s Obis, used as high wasted belts to fitted skirts, with jaunty woven boater hats perched on the models heads. And before that…. It was definitely Marc Jacob’s. I knew that history was borrowed when it came to fashion- lest we forget Balmain’s spring 2009 amazing array of “napoleon” inspired jackets. Fashion really is a borrowed art- it won’t be long before target is doing a half-hearted maybe-French-maybe not Balmain knockoff. Weren’t those done by… Napoleon in the first place? Besides, isn’t that what fashion is? Not knock-offs… but borrowing. Inspiration seems to have been borrowed throughout the years, for example, the Geishas, and their obi. Another marvel, re-designed for us by the people some of us love best: Designers
-Obi- literally means “the sash” and is used to tie Kimonos, or more casual robes. They vary in length, width, and style. Some are incredible elaborate, while some are just a strip of fabric. No matter what they look like, they are crucial to the completion of the total outfit, especially for a Geisha.
-Kimono-means “thing to wear.” Like the Obi, it comes in an amazing array of styles, sizes, patterns, and colors. It is worn by both men and women, and was the traditional garment of choice for Japanese until the late 40s. Kimonos are now occasionally worn for weddings by both the bride and the groom; however, it is uncommon to see people wearing kimonos out on the streets of Japan.
-Geisha- are Japanese women who learn the art of entertainment. Their skills vary from walking, to playing the mandolin (an instrument not unlike the guitar). Geisha were very much respected in Japan, not as prostitutes (which they were NOT) but as artists. Geishas were trained in Okiyas as maiko, or apprentices, and as their skills increased, the more they entertained, traveled, or had debuts.
I had always noticed the influence of Japanese styles on fashion, especially recently. John Galliano’s spring collection from 2007 was extraordinary- from his Japanese inspired shoes, to the obis that he used in the majority of his designs. I remember flipping through February or March’s issue of Vogue, and seeing a spring shoot, which featured Louis Vuitton’s Obis, used as high wasted belts to fitted skirts, with jaunty woven boater hats perched on the models heads. And before that…. It was definitely Marc Jacob’s. I knew that history was borrowed when it came to fashion- lest we forget Balmain’s spring 2009 amazing array of “napoleon” inspired jackets. Fashion really is a borrowed art- it won’t be long before target is doing a half-hearted maybe-French-maybe not Balmain knockoff. Weren’t those done by… Napoleon in the first place? Besides, isn’t that what fashion is? Not knock-offs… but borrowing. Inspiration seems to have been borrowed throughout the years, for example, the Geishas, and their obi. Another marvel, re-designed for us by the people some of us love best: Designers
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