TOMOMI YAMAMOTO

by Tomomi Yamamoto, since 2012

Each Tomomi Yamamoto bag is a unique design, cut from vintage Japanese Kimono and obi fabrics. The frames are also handcrafted and made of brass.

The literal meaning of Kimono is “thing to wear”. The bags are things to wear. But like the Kimono, they are also objects of beauty, to be looked at and to be admired.

The idea was to utilize vintage fabrics and to give them a new form.

Tomomi Yamamoto

One purpose the kimono serves is to convey information, such as personality, age, or marital status. The choice of fabric, colour pattern and form are all tools for conveying this information.

Every element of a kimono symbolizes something important. For example, the length of the Kimono sleeve indicates whether a woman is married or unmarried.

In a way, the modern handbag fills the same function; conveying important information about the woman who wears it. Tomomi’s idea was to utilize vintage fabrics, but to give them a new form. Transforming the kimonos into bags, granting them an alternative life but still allowing them to fulfill their original role.

Terrang

In addition to the Tomomi Yamamoto collection, the designer has launched another line of bags. The Terrang label, a word combination of terra in Latin for earth and rang in Hindi for color, focuses on natural materials such as raffia and ethnic designs.

IMAGE CREDITS | TOMOMI YAMAMOTO