The project

At the beginning of 2020, the outbreak of a pandemic plugged the world into a moment of unprecedented crisis. Italy has been one the most affected countries and among the very first ones to adopt forced closures.

I have found out of “Kurume Kasuri” just when stocking masks was hard the most, as I was looking for a good fabric to manufacture cloth masks in Japan.

After a first successful test, the growing appreciation for the masks made them become known all around Japan as “Kimono Masks”.

Thanks to this opportunity, I learnt more about the history and unique features of Kurume Kasuri, and I decided to invest in a new project which could help in spreading these ancient traditions beyond the Japanese borders.

This is how “Kimonissimo” started.

 

Now that there are few occasions to wear a kimono, most of the products realized with Kurume Kasuri and available on the market are fashion items and traditional woman accessories.

Despite the wide range of available pigments, I found it interesting to work with the most ancient shades, the dark ones, which fits well with elegant clothes and formal workwear.

Hence, Kimonissimo was thought aiming to let people rediscover the charm behind ancient traditions and the use of Kurume Kasuri in their everyday life. I hope to find support not only in Japan but also abroad: specifically, I would love to see the project embraced in Italy, my home country, which shares with Japan a deep love for tradition and excellence.

 

Daniele Di Santo
President, Di Santo Corporation