Well, speaking of obsessions... (I bought over 100 kimono this year, mostly in bulk. I have a problem; I don't like money just 'sitting' in my account, you see...)
Yup! It's for an anime convention and I hope I can do well enough in front of people. XD Things sound great in my head and then get a lot less great in reality. But I have REALLY been wanting to do this panel for a few years, and after last year's host said that a kimono is only made out of silk, and if it is made out of something else, synthetic, wool, hemp, etc., then it's just a yukata... And that is so not right.
I mean, the availability of synthetic has sort of helped with the approachability of kimono to young and people new to kimono. Silk is a scary and precious fabric! Especially when you factor in the dying techniques, like kyo-yuuzen, or Oshima tsumugi... The price point of an authentic, new mud-dyed Oshima tsumugi can give you a heart attack, and yet, it can only be worn as an informal kimono! Even used Oshima tsumugi can leave a heavy coin purse quite bereft. (This is also what I am afraid of doing, just rambling on and on and on. lol) But the usefulness of a hitoe synthetic kimono is kind of invaluable to a first-time buyer, and even people who just like to wear kimono often, since they can be put into a washing machine, so long as they are folded properly and put in a garment bag and run through on the gentle cycle. That's a lot friendlier than kimono that, typically, need to be completely picked apart, sewn back into a bolt the original bolt form, washed, then sewn back into a kimono. Expensive! And also not really a service available in America. I don't really trust dry cleaning, either, just because so many of the dyes are not colour fast and I've heard a lot of tales of kimono dry cleaning gone horrible.
Aaaanywho. I mostly want to focus on the basics (but even that is iffy to properly get through in less than 2 hours) and getting people started on where to buy kimono and where they turn to to educate themselves. It's only a 2 hour panel, so, not a lot I can say in that time, but I really want to pass on some knowledge and point people in the right direction. I'm putting together a list of books (and of course, I just bought another 200$ worth of kimono books. For science!) that have helped me over the years, and the books themselves are fairly cheap, plus a list of Youtube channels, and other websites. The last few years, the hosts just didn't have the knowledge to truly pass on to people, and I was left pretty disappointed that not only did I not learn anything new, but I heard a lot of incorrect information. So, for kimono, I will get over my fear of talking in front of people!!! I guess that's, probably, a good growing/learning experience, too. If I want to be mature like that.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2017-09-05 01:56 am (UTC)Yup! It's for an anime convention and I hope I can do well enough in front of people. XD Things sound great in my head and then get a lot less great in reality. But I have REALLY been wanting to do this panel for a few years, and after last year's host said that a kimono is only made out of silk, and if it is made out of something else, synthetic, wool, hemp, etc., then it's just a yukata... And that is so not right.
I mean, the availability of synthetic has sort of helped with the approachability of kimono to young and people new to kimono. Silk is a scary and precious fabric! Especially when you factor in the dying techniques, like kyo-yuuzen, or Oshima tsumugi... The price point of an authentic, new mud-dyed Oshima tsumugi can give you a heart attack, and yet, it can only be worn as an informal kimono! Even used Oshima tsumugi can leave a heavy coin purse quite bereft. (This is also what I am afraid of doing, just rambling on and on and on. lol) But the usefulness of a hitoe synthetic kimono is kind of invaluable to a first-time buyer, and even people who just like to wear kimono often, since they can be put into a washing machine, so long as they are folded properly and put in a garment bag and run through on the gentle cycle. That's a lot friendlier than kimono that, typically, need to be completely picked apart, sewn back into a bolt the original bolt form, washed, then sewn back into a kimono. Expensive! And also not really a service available in America. I don't really trust dry cleaning, either, just because so many of the dyes are not colour fast and I've heard a lot of tales of kimono dry cleaning gone horrible.
Aaaanywho. I mostly want to focus on the basics (but even that is iffy to properly get through in less than 2 hours) and getting people started on where to buy kimono and where they turn to to educate themselves. It's only a 2 hour panel, so, not a lot I can say in that time, but I really want to pass on some knowledge and point people in the right direction. I'm putting together a list of books (and of course, I just bought another 200$ worth of kimono books. For science!) that have helped me over the years, and the books themselves are fairly cheap, plus a list of Youtube channels, and other websites. The last few years, the hosts just didn't have the knowledge to truly pass on to people, and I was left pretty disappointed that not only did I not learn anything new, but I heard a lot of incorrect information. So, for kimono, I will get over my fear of talking in front of people!!! I guess that's, probably, a good growing/learning experience, too. If I want to be mature like that.