Pokémon Kimono Are A Very Good Idea

Typical motifs for kimono include things like plum blossoms, sakura, maple leaves. They do not include Pocket Monsters, which is a shame because they definitely should.

Kimono creator Misamaru takes her love of Pokémon to a new level by showing it off in traditional Japanese wear. “I decided to make a Pokémon kimono because I love both Pokémon and kimonos,” she told Kotaku via email, “and I thought it would be wonderful to create a piece that combined them.”

Misamaru adds that she’s been a big Pokémon fan since she was a little girl.

What she’s done is incorporated Pokémon designs and motifs into the entire kimono ensemble, including embroidering the characters into haori, the light coats worn over kimono.

Creating this Rayquaza piece took two months. First, Misamaru mapped out where the Legendary Pokémon would go on the haori, drawing the character in tailor’s chalk. Then, she did the embroidery by hand.

It’s a time-consuming process, but worth it, especially here. “My favorite Pokémon is Kyogre,” she added.

For the Groudon haori, she recreated the character as a felt patch, embroidering all the details, and then applied it.

The result is fantastic, right? No wonder her work has been featured in a variety of sites, including Kai-You, SoraNews, Grapee, and IT Media.

Misamaru’s creations are not limited to Pokémon. She’s done kimono inspired by the manga Hunter x Hunter, Goth and Gothic Lolita fashion, and even a wonderful Tinkerbell influenced one that ended up looking like lettuce.

Lettuce kimono are rad.

While traditional kimono can seem bogged down in rules at times, there have been a number of younger designers shaking things up in a healthy way. This designer in particular wants people to feel freedom when wearing kimono. No doubt, fun, too.

All tweets and photos used with permission. For more, check out Misamaru’s Twitter right here.