KimonoReincarnate

I fell in love with Japanese Kimono fabrics when I first went to Japan. I love their design, their colours and the symbolism of the motifs used. I would watch in awe women in the streets when they were dressed in the traditional wear. To me, it’s like seeing a fine piece of artwork moving through the everyday scene.

Sadly, my curvy body shape doesn’t match well with straight lines of the Kimono. Still I greedily wanted a share of these lush textiles. That was how Kimono Reincarnate was born.
I seek out these gorgeous textiles and turn them into items that can be more easily used everyday. I give new life to fabrics that time has passed by. Much of my collection was gathered at antique markets and specialist secondhand stores during the six years I was living in Japan. I now travel to Japan each year to purchase more fabric and to soak in the inspiration all around.

As each piece of kimono fabric I use is either vintage or antique, the resulting piece handmade by myself from it is unique. I love to hold the fabric and imagine the life it has lead in the past before I breathe a new life, its second life, into it.

The Kimono Reincarnate range has continued to develop and expand as I'm influenced by not just the traditional but also the Japanese "kawaii" (Japanese word for "cute"), and the fresh, original fashions found on the streets of Tokyo.