Japanese inspiration

It was when receiving Taschen's two-volume Fashion book on my birthday

that I started to become fully aware of the incredible devotion to fashion that
  

the Japanese have, for it is the Kyoto Costume Institute's collection of garments

which is featured in the pages of this classic Taschen book.  "Clothing is an essential

manifestation of our very being" (source) is what KCI affirms, and how could they conceive

otherwise as it was Japan that gave the fashion world designers like Issey Miyake,

 Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garcons, her protégé Junya Watanabe,

and so many more, who simply "redefined the very basis of fashion" (source)

and "introduced a radically new conception of fashion to the catwalks

of Paris" (source)

Still, the Barbican and New York's FIT are only officially acknowledging

what the world is already feeling: the immense influence of both Japanese designers

and its youth-oriented street styles has had and continues to have on Western fashion.

It is the Japanese designers who provide us with art-like avant-garde garments, while

Japan's youth inspires countless trends. Do you like layering, vintage tops, lace, knitearthy,

natural colors, and find yourself hopelessly attracted by floral prints, and prints featuring

candy (such as . . ) or animal (such as . . ) images? Then you might want to know

that you have the Mori Girls (source) to thank. Did you go crazy for Tim Burton's

Alice in Wonderland, and like pastels, bows and ruffles, then you can pick

any of the Lolita subcultures (source) because that's where the inspiration

comes from.

Still, even if contemporary Japanese fashion is obviously influential, traditional Japan

has been my inspiration for this current outfit featuring a Camilla Wellton kimono-like

jacket (named kimonacket by the designer) and a ghd powered straight hairstyle.

The kimono was introduced in Japanese fashion in the 8th century A.D.,

more specifically after the year 794, along with the invention of the

straight line method (source).

And it seems that the straight line concept translated into hairstyles as well. If in the 7th century

Japanese women wore their hair very high in the front and in a ponytale at the back,

it is between 794 and 1345 A.D. when they started wearing a straight, unbound,

and very long hairstyle called taregami. We should note that the variety of hair decorations that

geishas are now known for started to be introduced after 1790 (source). Even if nowadays

most of the modern geishas wear wigs, if you by any chance fancy trying something new

with your hair just go to http://hairstyles.ghdhair.com for a variety of haistyles.

And don't be afraid to experiment!

Camilla Wellton translated the concept of the traditional Japanese garment wonderfully into her

own design, with "Westernized kimono sleeves and a stylized obi which also functions as a little bag

with zipper in the back" (source). As for my own hairstyle adaptation, it is far from the most

experimental of them, but that's nothing a few tutorials can't fix.

So stay tuned for more, and I'm looking forward to see

your adventured into hairstyle realm!

Camilla Wellton Kimonacket

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