| | Kitsuke Workshop at Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room:
Kimono, one of the most beautiful, elegant and delicately assembled ethnic apparels in the world, are said mainly made in Kyoto. There still, in this modern days, some are hand-sewn and the fabric are weaved, hand-printed or embroidered, and thus they are, you can only imagine, priceless. Kimono is the casually called traditional Japanese clothing and commonly known as a certain kind of, though not always necessarily, women's clothes. Wafuku is the formal way to call all kinds of traditional clothes including men's distinguished from Yofuku, the western clothes. Just like many other cultures and arts in Japan, there are so many strict rules and guidelines how to make them, so as to wear Kimono - "Kitsuke".
Today's Kitsuike Workshop was called in initially to refresh our (Japanese members) memories since some haven't worn Kimono for a long time or never tried by herself as it is no longer our daily clothing (however there is a few exception) but only for the special occasions. We also thought it'd be very interesting and rare opportunity for our non-Japanese members to be able to study and witness how much trouble to go through to wear a Kimono, but not just to put it on anyhow but properly and beautifully.
It started with the instructor, Chikako-san's, introduction of different kinds of Kimono, characters and purpose of wearing by showing her collection, including Obi-belt which is the center of Kimono fashion as there are many ways to wear/tie them which, along with the length of the Kimono's sleeves, would emphasize the character of who you are and what you are. Then she showed how to wear Kimono by putting them on using all kinds of accessories while 6 participants followed. 2 were the observers, and 2 others, Kazuyo-san and Suzumi-san, helped as assistant. It looked very easy but it was somewhat very complicated and difficult to put the right amount of space between the neck and the collar in the back as well as the front, and that is the major point when finalizing the sophistication of wearing Kimono. At the end, nevertheless so much effort everyone had put, all looked decent. Sorry, but not just yet 100% there comparing to the Chikako-san's so much so perfectly executed finish. That means, lucky for us, we do need another Kitsuke workshop in the near future reviewing all we had learned today, besides we would love to have the other instructor, Kazuyo-san's, workshop for "how to wear Kimono beautifully without using all kinds of accessories" since we couldn't have it today as originally planned due to the limited time. Before taking photos as the finale, after patiently waiting for hours Mizuki-chan finally got to wear her pretty Kimono with a help from Kazuyo-san. There will be one day when she'll get to wear a Furisode, the flamboyant long sleeved Kimono only unmarried young women are supposed to wear, on her 20's birth year which is a part of traditional ceremony in Japan.
Many thanks to Chikako-san the instructor for her dedication and professionalism in bringing in her astonishing Kimono collection in 3 cases for today's workshop as well as explaining the precise details of what the Kimono is all about including preparing for us a list and her advice. We really can't wait for the next workshop.
Midori Shinye
The Project Planning Leader for Kitsuke Workshop | | 2月15日着付けﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟ
おそらく世界で一番美しく、ｴﾚｶﾞﾝﾄで微妙に作られた民族衣装のひとつではないかと思われる着物はほとんど京都で作られているそうです。今現在でもまだ中には手で縫われたもの、手織り・手染めまたは刺繍の入った布地で作られたものなど想像に達しない値段のものもあります。着物という言葉は一般的に女性の着る物がそう呼ばれているように思われがちですが必ずしもそうではありません。一方和服という呼び方はいわゆる男性の着る物も含めた日本の伝統的な衣服類全体のもので洋服との違いを示します。他の沢山の日本文化･芸術に見られる様に着物の作り方だけでなくどの様に装うかということにも数多くの原則とか極まりがあり、それが｢着付け｣です。
今日の着付けﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟは日本人ﾒﾝﾊﾞｰで長年着物を着ていない為にすっかり忘れてしまった方又は今までに一度も自分で着たことのない方々の為に、また日本人以外のメンバーの方々には勉強又は着物を着るということはただ単に装うのではなく美しく洗練された着こなしをすることがどんなに大変であるかを観賞して頂ける大変興味深いまた珍しいﾁｬﾝｽとして企画したものです。
最初はｲﾝｽﾄﾗｸﾀｰの千佳子さんがいろいろな着物と帯のｺﾚｸｼｮﾝを見せながらどの様な種類と特徴があって、それぞれどの様な時に着るのかの説明です。帯は着物のﾌｧｯｼｮﾝの中でも重要なポイントで、いろいろな種類だけでなく結び方によっても着物の袖の長さと同じ様に着る人のｷｬﾗｸﾀｰを象徴します。その後は多種の小物を使って千佳子さんが着付けていくのを見ながら6名の参加者が装っていきます。2名は見学、それから和代さんとｽｽﾞﾐさんはｱｼｽﾀﾝﾄとして皆を手伝ってくださいました。見ている時は簡単そうですが、実は後ろと前側の首と襟との間に適格な開きを定めるというのは思いもかけず難しく、それによって仕上げがいかに洗練されたものになるかが決まります。皆さんいろいろと苦労をした結果はまあまあの出来栄えでした。千佳子さんの完璧な装いに比べるとまだまだ100％とは言えない段階です。と言うことは、ぜひまた近いうちに改めてもう一回ﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟが必要ということでしょう。また今日は時間が足らなくなってしまった理由で元々予定していた和代さんの｢全ての小物を使わなくても美しく着物を装う｣ﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟが出来なかったので次回そちらもお願いしたいと思います。最後に全員で記念写真を撮る前に、辛抱強く2時間近く待ってくれた瑞貴ちゃんがようやく和代さんのヘルプで可愛い着物が着れました。そのうち成人式には振袖を着れる日が来ることでしょう。
今日のﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟの為に本格的にすばらしい着物ｺﾚｸｼｮﾝを3つものｹｰｽに入れて持ってくるだけでなく、和服リストの｢着物の装い｣と｢現代に着物を着るメリット｣などプロ並みに参加者の為にいろいろと用意して下さった千佳子さんに心から感謝感激です。皆で次回のﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟをぜひ楽しみにしています。
新江 緑
着付けﾜｰｸｼｮｯﾌﾟ企画ﾘｰﾀﾞｰ | |
