Kimono Fashion Shame

Australia’s fashion industry is prostituting Japanese culture and tradition for profit. The fashion industry’s misrepresentation of traditional Japanese dress is deeply offensive to the local Japanese community. Australia’s fashion industry including some of Australia’s largest retailers and fashion magazines including the top selling “Cosmopolitan” from A.C.P. Retailers are advertising “Kimono Tops” that bare little or no resemblance to the traditional Japanese kimono. The traditional Japanese kimono is used as part of Shinto (Japanese religious) ceremonies, tea ceremonies, sake ceremonies and other traditional Japanese festivals. The use of the term “kimono” by these retailers and magazines is grossly misleading and seeks to take value from the long tradition of the kimono and their high value. Traditional Japanese kimono can cost as much as A$50,000. |