Social design
-Next Kimono-

Special to Daily, Japan to World

Social Design

KUDEN challenge to solve 2 social issue by design.

※Generally speaking, social design means design to solve social issue.

Disappear Japanese traditional kimono calture

About Kimono & Wasai
Issue
Answer

Feature of traditional kimono

Long life Design

Kimono is long life design that almost unchanged the shape since 400 years ago in Edo period.

1Design

There are many patterns and design for shirts, dress, and other tops but kimono has only one pattern. It be changed their taste by material, textile and colors.

Wasai(和裁) is Japanese dressmaking for kimono

Feature of Western dressmaking

Based on “person”

- Three-dimensional clothes to fit bod
- Making pattern paper and cut the fabric by parts
- Don’t have an assumption that return clothes to fabric

Feature of Japanese dressmaking

Based on “kimono-making”

-Decides length of fabric according to person wearing
-No pattern paper. Just cut one long fabric for linearly

But,Japanese traditional kimono culture
& The special technique for kimono making but now being lost.

- Even in Japan, it’s difficult to live wearing kimono. The demands of kimono decrease and market goes down.

- Wasai, technique to use long time is now disappearing because of decrease kimono demands

- Aging of artisan and lack of successors become seriously issue. If it goes on, anyone can’t produce kimono.

Wasai(和裁) is Japanese dressmaking for kimono

・In the late 1970, Japanese wore foreign style clothes and this style were getting generally rapidly.This made decrease the demand of kimono. The kimono business world developed the high value-added products like HAREGI, only wear in special day like wedding and ceremony, because they had to recover losses of kimono sales.So kimono becomes expensive luxury clothes to wear in everyday life.

・Only kimono tailor has a skill to make kimono because it made by traditional Japanese tailor skill called “Wasai”.
But the number of kimono tailor is decreasing because of aging and lack of successors so it has a scarcity value.

・The fabric of traditional kimono is now limited production and it makes kimono expensive.

・If we wear traditional kimono only by ourselves, we need special ability and tool. It’s more and more difficult than wearing usual clothes so we have to study how to wear.

・If we can’t wear by ourselves, we have to go to school/workshop for that or went to the beauty salon to have them put kimono on.

・Kimono becomes established as a special dress for ceremony or anniversary day.

・Life style and climate in present-day doesn’t agree with traditional kimono.

・By adapting western dressmaking not Japanese one, it makes possible to sew them by many factory had no Japanese dressmaking technique.

・Redesign to wear as same as regular clothes people wear in daily life

・Comfortable to wear by fabric and breathable design, make functions like pockets, it’s suitable to busy daily life.

・by redesign traditional kimono to 3 piece , they have versatility and people can take just 1 item in lifestyle.

・Everyone can enjoy it with their usual outfit as own style.

Roadmap to protect kimono culture by KUDEN

For the first step, let people had interests in kimono all over the world wear Next kimono as introduction, want to increase the number of people loved kimono.
After that step, they will know about traditional kimono deeply. We think this connects to protect the kimono culture.

We have another fashion line “haoru by KUDEN” for vintage kimono&haori to value on already exist. Finally will handle traditional kimono too.

Lost high sewing technique for both Japanese and Western

Issue
Answer

・Disposal design for trend, sewing factory needs to sew clothes from scratch every time in short delivery time and low wage. Obviously it’s a hard work for them.

・The brand set price assumed on sale and small profits and quick returns due to them. It makes unfair low wage for sewing factory.

Terrible incidents caused by poor working conditions have occurred around the world, including the collapse of the Dhaka building in Rana Plaza.

Why continuing to sew same pattern connect with alleviation a burden of sewing factory?

By continuing to sew same pattern connect, sewing factory can accumulate the technique and increase their skills. It means they become able to make in better quality and short time. So the more sewing the more work efficiency, alleviate a burden.