Kimono stylist, producer and author Rinko Kimino, who continues to demonstrate the kimono as a living, breathing, fashion item through her works, debuted her second major fashion event Downtown on Dec. 2, a show titled “Kimono Girl in Wonderland.”
Held at the enchanting Last Bookstore, the event was themed after the internationally beloved classic “Alice in Wonderland,” and sought to reinvent the looks of iconic characters like the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts through Kimino’s unique styling choices.
While kimono are generally associated with a strictly traditional aesthetic, this show aimed to introduce local audiences to the flexibility and potential they have as a fashion item through the unlikely blend of Alice and kimono.
Based in Los Angeles, Kimino’s delightfully light-hearted and informative works promote Japanese traditions such as kimono, tenugui towels, and kabuki theater with a modern sensibility. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2010, she has embraced the joys of introducing the Japanese culture overseas.
She is currently penning her 14thand 15th publications, due out next spring.
“Any creator or artist who sets foot in the Last Bookstore would probably be seized by the desire to ‘express’ something in this space. I’m no exception to that,” Kimino said prior to the opening of “Wonderland.”
“I want everyone to experience how playful and fun the kimono could be right here at the bookstore, a spot unlike any other where people gather to soak up the local L.A. culture.”