Why Chiso Kimonos Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider

this is Kenji he's using centuries-old technique to dye silk for a kimono it's physically demanding but that's not the only challenge he has to match this color exactly making adjustments by eye and it's essential that the fabric inside this Barrel remains White Kenji won't know if he's successful until he opens the lid all right this is one of over 20 steps required to make a kimono you can buy a cotton kimono for three hundred dollars but a handmade chiso kimono can cost over ten thousand dollars and the company's most expensive kimonos cost 10 times that we followed 10 Artisans step by step to find out what makes these kimonos so expensive versions of the kimono have been worn for centuries today the kimono is viewed as formal wear worn on special occasions like weddings or coming of age ceremonies part of the reason why chiso's kimonos is so expensive is that they're made entirely out of silk it takes around 12 meters of silk to make a single kimono chiso collaborates with a network of Highly skilled artisans each step is done by hand and can take weeks to complete this intricate design starts out as a simple sketch foreign [Music] once the design is ready Hiroshi transfers it to the silk this step is called Drafting and it can take up to two weeks Hiroshi ensures that the design looks good when the kimono is worn not just on a flat surface these lines are critical to the design process but you won't see them on the finished kimono this paint is washed away after acting as a guide for other artisans Hiroshi has 37 years of experience but he's still very critical of his work there foreign ERS are known for their complex patterns painted using a technique called using Artisans trace the design with a glue-like paste that separates colors when the silk is painted it also gives a characteristic white outline to parts of the design foreign it's patients work but I says it's all worth it when she sees the finished kimono what does it is [Music] foreign foreign pieces of the kimono are sent off to different Artisans across Kyoto each Artisan must perfect their section while keeping in mind the final design at yoko's Workshop she dies the base of the kimono with these large brushes [Music] Yoko and her assistant blend the edges working around the design but this isn't the only way kimonos had died some are dyed using a technique called shibori which creates bold colors and distinct shapes but it's very tedious work before Kenji starts working Artisans sew up the silk and bind this Barrel yeah [Music] the same hiromi is sewing forms the edge of the design then Matsuyama wraps the silk along this wooden tub and tacks it into place before he attaches the lid this step is key to preventing dye from bleeding inside [Music] now it's time for Kenji to dip the silk [Music] he works quickly but constantly monitors the silk to ensure it's dyed correctly if the barrel remains in the die for too long the colors will start to bleed Kenji cuts a strip of fabric Compares it to the Swatch and adjusts his die accordingly foreign [Applause] is complete Kenji lifts the lid and examines his work all of these steps combine to tell a story through the design of the kimono themes of nature or the seasons are common while some designs reference poems or plays one of the most skilled and delicate steps is the use end dying tomoko has 25 years of experience making kimonos [Music] um has been practiced for centuries and has become an iconic feature of high-end kimonos the technique is more expensive and time consuming than screen printing but she sells customers are willing to pay a premium for the result long-sleeved kimonos with complicated designs can take two to three weeks to paint on them thank you Jesus [Music] so come on [Music] the final step in the process is for Artisans to apply gold leaf and embroider complex designs embroidery alone can take weeks to months depending on the design the more embroidery a kimono has the more expensive it will be when all the pieces fall into place the finished kimono is a work of art a testament to the skill of each Artisan who has worked on the silk um foreign takes 6 to 12 months to make and those hundreds of hours of Labor are reflected in the price most range from seven thousand dollars to fourteen thousand dollars but some of chiso's elaborate designs cost over one hundred thousand dollars and the accessories traditionally worn with a kimono increase the price even more [Music] um foreign customers looking for less expensive kimonos might choose to rent or to buy refurbished ones which usually cost a few hundred dollars but still provide good quality buying a cotton kimono or one without complex using is much more affordable these kimonos are often worn for Less formal events but current demand for expensive complex kimonos is low kimono sales declined dramatically in the 90s during Japan's economic crash and the industry has continued to shrink today it's around 14 of the size it was in 1975. she so sells around 4 000 kimonos each year but the relevance of the Garment in Modern Life is limited um further complicating matters The Artisans it relies upon to maintain production a getting older foreign [Music] foreign the future of this Century's old clothing tradition depends on the skill of The Artisans who practice it

Channel: Business Insider

Views: 6,804,332

Keywords: Business Insider, Business News, So Expensive, Japan, Chiso, Kimono, Chiso Kimonos, Fashion, Silk, Japanese, Kimonos, Kimono Style, Textile, Textiles

Id: b3xOKlvlkHY

Length: 12min 6sec (726 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 24 2022