Kimono with cats

My new Japanese kimono with cats worn with a black Ro obi, a pink obi age and obi jime.

Japanese scroll

As mentioned in a earlier post I needed a Japanese scroll for my version of a Tokonoma.

Finally I found one on ebay which caught my eye and got it for a nice price :). It's a beautiful scroll with bamboo and a goose.
So this is how my Tokonoma looks now.
I bought another one so I can change the setting but this one isn't here yet.

A lovely skirt with kimono design

I am not a skirt lady however I do like them but rarely wear them.
But this skirt I really love so I wanted to show it to you guys.
It has a lovely kimono design and maybe I buy it so the skirt can hang in my closet and hopefully I wear it some day.

So very cute

Japanese room with a twist of mine

I have tatami mats, shoji doors, kimono tansu and home made zaisu (zaisu (座椅子^?) is a Japanese chair with no legs but a normal chair back) but still it didn't look like a real Japanese room.
So this vacation I decided (with the help of my BF) that we would change it so it would become a proper Japanese room at least my version.

under supervision of course 

preparation

We made a frame for the tatami of Iroko wood

We had to create a platform to get everything equal with the framing

up and running

my version of a tokonoma which still needs a Japanese scroll

brooch with a Japanese theme

A few weeks ago I was at a secondhand store just seaching for anything Japanese.
Mostly I never find anything but this time I found this cute little treasure.
The use for this brooch will be as a obi dome

As shown in the picture she has been damaged but still looks pretty.

My old tsukesage kimono

My old Tsukesage would be a lovely match with the brooch.













Tsukesage: a tsukesage has more modest patterns that cover less area, mainly below the waist, than the more formal homongi. They may also be worn by married and unmarried women 

Houmongi with ro obi

I gues it's been a year since I've done kitsuke which shows at the pictures but what a lovely color-combination this orange houmongi and light green ro obi.
The obi age which I used is also light green and the obi jime is orange, made of beads.
Hope you had a great liberation day.

exhibition Geisha part 2

At the exhibition there were photo's, drawings, pictures of Geisha's and of course kimono. Here are some more pictures, hope you will enjoy them.

OTOMARU 1906-1976

Born as Nagai Matsuko, she started taking singing and dancing lessons at the age of six and debuted as Geisha in the Shinbashi district of Tokyo at the age of 13.
Otomaru was one of the few Geisha's who wore Western clothing and hairstyles whenever possible.
She was famous mainly thanks to her singing career.
Her name, which means something like "music sound", is said to be an allusion to gramophone records.

Geisha relaxing outside the okiya

Nice (fake) blossom

More kimono

and more, this one of my favorite

A stunning obi with the crest of the okiya

Exhibition Geisha Leiden

Geisha is a world-renowned style icon. The Japanese with the stark white face, red lips and precious kimono is a phenomenon that fascinates the world and stimulates the imagination. A stereotype ofJapanese aesthetics, surrounded by mysticism and misunderstandings. 

The concept is even more than samurai geisha surrounded by a sensation of mysticism. The intriguing Japanese is a global source of inspiration for fashion designers, artists, photographers and writers. Once stood geisha symbol for trendsetting haute couture, now you can see her just as guardian of refined cultural traditions and etiquette. An epitome of courtesy, control and beauty.

The world of the geisha is exclusive and private. Geisha houses are visited by influential politicians and businessmen, on which it can be sure that what they discuss there remains absolutely confidential. An evening in a tea house in the company of geisha is not for everyone. It is exclusive, expensive and only for the happy few.

Through this private character countless stories circulating about their role in the nightlife. Comparisons with prostitution and oppression do justice to reality. In this world, women, big exception in Japan, the power: they themselves have in most Geisha- and tea houses, both in content and business, the leadership. In addition, young women choose for themselves to go to the long and intensive training, a voluntary commitment to a disciplined life of dancing, singing, study and performances.

National Museum of Ethnology works for this exhibition together with a geisha house in Kyoto, the main city of Japan geisha. Admire the paintings, the precious kimonos, obi and hair accessories, dressing tables, mirrors and musical instruments and with lacquer set tables. Meet the woman behind the phenomenon in especially for this exhibition made reports: personal stories about her motives, sacrifices and a constant search for perfection. GEISHA offers a unique look behind the scenes of a closed world.

Here's an impression of the exhibition many kimono are from Yoshifumi teahouse in kyoto.

 Soon I will post more pictures of this exhibition.

Merry christmas

Have great days with friends and family.

Coming soon: exhibition GEISHA | Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde

Coming soon: exhibition GEISHA | Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde

Facebook

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My page is know as Cats and kitsuke, hope to see you there.

kimono peacock feathers

This kimono I bought in 2012 never worn so it was time to show her in all her glory.
My patient was tested today because it wasn't going the way I wanted but here is the result.
The brooch looks really cute I think.

kimono show Moshi Moshi Amsterdam

Moshi Moshi stand for a celebration of Japanese art and especially entertainment.
There were a diversity of exhibitors, workshops performers and fans that brought the traditional and contemporary Japan to the heart of Amsterdam.

The kimono show was hosted by Berber Oostenburg
The theme was a wedding with a bride, her mother, nieces and many friends. All dressed in different kind of kimono to show the formal kimono but also how to dress up in less formal kind of kimono but still look dressed for a wedding.


Berber Oostenburg host of the kimonoshow wearing modern kimono.

Berber

Maartje being the bride of the show in uchikake.                                                                                                                                                                                             
Naomi was the mother of the bride in vintage kurotomesode.

Maartje and Naomi

Christine being the little unmarried sister of the bride in antique furisode.

Berber and Christine

Mirjam being the married sister of the bride in summer houmongi.

Me and Christine 

Dandy being a niece at the wedding in a pretty pink vintage ro silk komon dressed up fancy to make it more formal.

Julie was a guest at the wedding of the kimono show wearing a vintage fancy rose komon.

Ria was a guest at the wedding in a red yukata

Dandy, Ria and Julie

Nadine in antique sha silk bold dragonfly komon

Charissa is wearing an antique ro silk komon kimono 

Nadine and Charissa

all the models on stage.

Moshi Moshi event Amsterdam

Moshi Moshi will present a kimono fashion show. The show will be run by kimono artist Berber Oostenburg. Berber will showcase a wide range of Japanese kimonos.

the kimono fashion show will be at 13:00 untill 14:00.
So if you have the opportunity come and visit her show

Hope to see you there.

Kimono and obi compatibility chart

I found  a chart which can be usefull if you want to know which obi you can wear with a certain kimono.
Hopefully you find it usefull.

Kimono photo part 2

My bf became 50 years old last week, so I wanted to give him something special for his birthday.

So I came up with the idea that I wanted to do something with the 3 girls in  his life.

The 3 girls meaning our 2 cats and myself.

This is the result, I love iT!

kimono photos

A few weeks ago I visited my friend Berber Oostenburg who is an artist, go visit her site she makes beautiful art. The reason for my visit will be known after a certain date in may and than I will reveal the outcome. But for now I want to show some pictures she made of me.

This photo is really funny I think

I am wearing houmongi with cranes birds and plum

This is my kin sha chirimen kimono also with plum.

                                                               

Kitsuke time

It's been a while but today it was kitsuke time.
The kimono I've choose is a hitotsu mon which is never worn only by mine mannequin doll in 2009. You can read the post Here.
I wasn't sure the color would suite me but it really surprised me.
The obi is a white/cream nagoya obi with very cute daisies in pink and red.

Hitotsu mon: A garment with a single mon (crest) on it at centre back of shoulders. The mon makes it slightly formal

Cherry blossom forecast

If you ever want to see just as me the blossom in Japan. This might be handy for the dates which the cherry blossom should blossom. :)

Happy new year

I wish you all the Best in the year of the horse and thanks for visiting my blog.