Kimono Hime is a magazine that features a style of kimono mixed with contemporary accessories such as high heels, giant fluffy earmuffs, shawls etc. In doing so it breaks the rules of wearing kimono but, maybe because the art of wearing kimono are so incredibly vast, intricate and thus daunting, this technically incorrect way of styling of Kimono Hime has been partially responsible for a resurge in wearing kimono in Japan and it’s an beautiful thing to see.

I have been googling lots about it and I’ve come across many things that didn’t sit right with me so I decided to google some on cultural appropriation, too.

Cultural appropriation is often confusing, especially for someone who was brought up in a society that still bears a lot of colonialist aspects (i.e. Westerners always feel justified in taking an aspect of another’s culture and strip it from their meaning for our own personal gain, for our own personal expression). After a long train of thoughts I often wonder cynically that all cultures will ultimately mix and there’s no getting around that but isn’t this idea is instilled in me because my culture has still so many remnants of colonialism and teaches me it’s okay to use elements of another’s culture for my own personal gain? I’d say yes. I don’t think I am the voice to be talking about this because of that. But because I felt uneasy about it I feel the need to include some ideas on cultural appropriation of kimono along with the stylings of the Kimono Hime magazine. It’s a weird juxtaposition perhaps but, hey, whatever.