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From Pokémon Kimonos to Heian-Era Styles: MISAMARU Redefines the Freedom and Boundaries of the Kimono
The kimono is Japan's traditional attire. One brand, MISAMARU, is effortlessly weaving its potential into contemporary fashion.
Once worn by all Japanese people as daily attire, the kimono has now become a symbol of stylized beauty and formality.
In a mission to bring the kimono back to the streets, MISAMARU's items embody a uniquely free-spirited style. We sat down with the designer, Misamaru, to uncover the secrets behind her creations.
PROFILE
Misamaru
Designer of the Japanese-style brand "MISAMARU." Since her university days, she has drawn attention on social media for her unique style, customizing kimonos and integrating them into daily outfits, as well as for her handmade kimonos embroidered with Pokémon. Her publications include "フリースタイル着物コーデBOOK" (KADOKAWA). She is also an ambassador for the kimono-like brand "KUDEN." She launched MISAMARU in 2024.
The Curious Case of a 'Traditional Garment' That Isn't Everyday Wear
The hallmark of MISAMARU's apparel is its designs, which freely customize silhouettes and lengths while incorporating motifs from yukata, haori, montsuki, hakama, and even garments from the Heian period.They also pair surprisingly well with Western-style items like skirts, leather boots, and silver accessories.
While each new release creates a huge buzz, designer Misamaru didn't originally set out to enter the fashion world.
"The first time kimonos first caught my eye was when I wore one for the Shichi-Go-San festival. It was so cute, and my childhood self desperately wanted to wear one. But I was shocked when my grandmother, who was a 'kitsukeshi' (kimono dresser), took me to a kimono shop.
A single one cost hundreds of thousands of yen—way too expensive for me to buy... It struck me as odd. How could something so beautiful, cherished by Japanese people as a tradition, not be something you could wear every day?"
Traditional kimonos require accessories like juban (undergarments) and obi (sashes), and their care requires expertise. Wasn't there a way to wear them more freely and casually?
No Rules, No Manuals: The Birth of 'Freestyle Kimono'
The idea started to materialize during her university years."I found affordable polyester kimonos and second-hand ones online. I thought, 'I can afford these,' and started working them into my outfits. That said, there were almost no examples of how to style them."
No one around her was mixing Japanese and Western styles. As she enjoyed creating outfits on her own, she had a fascinating encounter.
"I stumbled upon the East-meets-West styles of other kimono lovers on social media and was really inspired. I thought, 'This is it! I want to do this too!' I started organizing offline meetups to connect with them and began posting my own outfits."
Her community was online. From around 2019, Misamaru's outfits, which combined Japanese attire with punk and goth styles, began to create a buzz.
"When I read books on Japanese clothing, I learned that up until around the Muromachi period, it was common to loosely tie kimonos with a simple cord instead of a formal obi. If people wore them so freely back then, then it should be perfectly fine in this era to wear them over Western clothes without a juban, or even to alter their shape. I started customizing them by hemming them or painting on them."
In this way, Misamaru made a name for herself as a prominent user and creator within the DIY community of Japanese-style fashion enthusiasts. She became an ambassador for the kimono-like brand "KUDEN" and published a book on "kimono coordination." Through her activities, her social media following exploded into the tens of thousands.
Among her works, the piece that went most viral was the 'Pokémon-embroidered' kimono.
"I got the chance to meet a Japanese embroidery artisan at the Nishijin Textile Center, and I became captivated by embroidered kimonos. While professional Japanese embroidery was way beyond my skills, I was determined to embroider my favorite Pokémon on a kimono and wear it."
Without any specialized knowledge, her days became a blur of stitching. The haori she completed after several months was so remarkable it was even featured on the news.
The "Pokémon kimono" served as a fresh reminder to the world of just how charming kimonos can be. However, her free-spirited approach to Japanese-style coordination was also met with mixed reactions.
"My grandmother, who was a professional kimono dresser, really disapproved. She would say, 'Don't disrupt the formality, don't wear it incorrectly.' I heard similar comments on social media. For those who love traditional kimonos, it's only natural that my style would be met with backlash. It was around that time I started to wonder, 'What exactly is *waso* (Japanese clothing)?'"
The criticism, from people who were supposed to be fellow "kimono lovers," created a lot of inner turmoil. But those voices would eventually become the seeds for the brand MISAMARU.
Fandom and Yokai Fashion Ignited the Brand—The Journey to "Heian Mode"
She launched her brand "MISAMARU" using an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), starting out as a simple extension of her own handmade creations.
"When I posted a piece I made by chopping off the bottom of a crested kimono to create a cropped look, I got a lot of comments on social media like, 'Where can I buy this?' and 'I want one!' That's when I thought, 'Maybe I should ask a factory to turn this into a product.' I was just hoping to reach people who enjoy waso-style outfits."
At the time, she was already married with children and was making preparations while raising her kids. The initial launch consisted of just two items: a short-length kimono and a short-length haori. Even so, the response was beyond anything she had imagined.
"They sold out almost immediately, and I had to rush to produce more. Looking at the reactions on social media, I saw that the items were reaching a completely different audience than the typical 'kimono lover.' People were using them for fan activities related to games and anime characters, and they were a hit with 'yoso' fans who enjoy dressing up as yokai."
Amazed by the kimono's potential, she was reminded of why she started creating her own waso styles in the first place: what if kimonos were more affordable, easier to care for, and could be worn more freely...?
While respecting the traditional aesthetic, she wanted "to offer people the option of enjoying kimonos as everyday fashion." This concept became more and more pronounced in the MISAMARU brand.
This is how "Heian Mode" was born.
"Around the time I was launching the brand, I went back and studied the history of Japanese clothing from the Kofun period to the present day. That's when I discovered the everyday wear of Heian-era nobles, like the *suikan* and *kariginu*. They have a very unique shape with open shoulders. I thought it would look so cool to see the inner kimono peeking out from under the hem."
Misamaru's creative journey, which began with the simple desire to "wear what I want," eventually led her to the world of 1,000-year-old Heian-period garments—a particularly niche area even within the world of kimonos. Her "Heian Mode," updated as a unisex item, became a huge topic of conversation.
"But there are things I regret about 'Heian Mode,' too. The white version ended up resembling the *hakucho* and *joe*, which are garments worn by people associated with Shinto shrines. Due to my lack of research, I had to issue a warning asking people to refrain from wearing it within shrine grounds.
Still, white is an essential color for enjoying fashion. I'm still struggling and experimenting with how to navigate this relationship with tradition."
How Far Can the Kimono Be Updated?
Misamaru never received any formal fashion education and has never worked in the apparel industry—her roots are entirely in street fashion. While showing respect for traditional kimono wearers and exploring new forms of the garment, she says she was recently encouraged by something someone told her."It was when I was talking with a kimono wholesaler in Kyoto. I confessed that I was struggling with the balance between my designs and tradition, and they told me, 'Protecting tradition is the job of people in that world, like geiko and those in kabuki. You should just wear it however you like.'
Until then, I felt that wearing a kimono was this 'responsible act of shouldering Japanese history.' But now, I'm starting to think that maybe I don't need to feel so burdened by it."
A year after the brand's launch, she took the leap and incorporated it as MISAMARU Co., Ltd. She is currently preparing to open a physical store.
The motif for her latest collection this fall is the *gakuran* (Japanese school uniform for boys). The inspiration for this design, which is different from any waso genre she has released before, came from the uniforms of railway workers in the Taisho era.
"At the Kyoto Railway Museum, I came across a railway worker's uniform from 1920. I was instantly captivated by its refined silhouette and the beautifully worn-in look that only time can create. This inspired me to create the \"着物袖学ラン,\" which adapts a cropped-length kimono with details like gold buttons and a stand-up collar, making it incredibly easy to style."
The choice to focus on modern attire from the Meiji and Taisho eras over more traditional kimonos stems from an unexpected discovery about the history of Japanese clothing.
"While developing this piece, I dove into the history of Japanese uniforms. I discovered movements like the \"改良服\" from the Meiji period and the post-war \"ニューキモノ,\" both of which sought to modernize the kimono into more practical garments. This resonated with me deeply. I realized that I, too, am part of the 100-plus-year legacy of the \"改良服.\""
Reimagining traditional clothing and elevating it into contemporary fashion. This paradigm shift, constantly seen with items like suits and leather shoes, is absolutely possible for the kimono, too—for both the designers creating them and for those of us who wear them.
Text by GANTAN
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