If you're in lock down, isolation or just needing a pick-me-up, I'm here to serve! The world has been turned upside down and we've become obsessed about the news, which let's face it, is making us feel downright sad. I'm predicting terrible sales for Biku in April, so instead of moping about and feeling sorry for my business, I'm here to brighten my own (and hopefully your) days. The whole of April will see me doing things a bit out of the ordinary. If you're in the VIP Club you'll be invited to play ZINGO! (the Biku version of BINGO but in a Zoom chat) with loads of prizes. There'll be jokes, giveaways, a trunk show, kimono colouring and probably some dancing also this month. There will definitely be lots of making in the studio and hopefully a Zoom Make-Along thrown in too. I need to keep busy, so let's GO!!!!!!! Are you with me? P.S. Oh, I almost forgot, there will also be free shipping this month. Just enter the code: WASHYOURHANDS at checkout. (Not applicable to Kokeshi Boxes sorry!) You might also like...
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It seems to be all doom and gloom throughout the world at the moment. We're terrified of getting sick, losing loved ones or losing our livelihoods. Anxiety is at a high and we are constantly watching the news or reading reports about the Corona Virus. So I'm here with a positive spin on this. No, I'm not going to deny the gravity of the situation, it's clear that this is serious stuff, but I refuse to let it terrify me into inaction. That doesn't mean I'm off out on packed trains, going to clubs (too old anyway) or meeting up with friends for hanami. Quite the opposite. I'm hunkering down with the fam for a while, doing my bit so I don't spread this thing to the vulnerable in society. First off, I'm picturing a moment in time when this thing has all blown over. Which it will, at some point. That gives me enough strength to keep going. Going out less means spending less, which means I can earn less for the time being. WHAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR
WHAT I PLAN TO DO IN LIFE
WHAT I PLAN TO DO IN BUSINESS
SOME IDEAS FOR YOU
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Just before the triple disaster on March 11th 2011 I made an ikebana arrangement featuring early flowering Sakura (cherry blossom) branches. The devastating earthquake at 14:46 on that day triggered a deadly tsunami taking more than 20,000 lives in one wave and the following explosion at the nuclear plant in Fukushima left Japan reeling. We were terrified by endless aftershocks and distracted by where to buy uncontaminated water and (of course) toilet paper. Those little sakura branches lay forgotten in a bucket of water on our terrace for months. And when the earth had settled enough for us to finally get life in order, I realized that the branches were still sitting there. The blossoms had long since disappeared and in their place, bright green waxy leaves had sprouted. Underneath the water, the branch had grown thick white roots. Fast forward nine years and one of those little branches is now a tree that blossoms every year. It sprouts the same waxy leaves in the summer and turns golden in the Autumn. After dropping its crisp leaves in the winter, within a matter of days tiny pink buds appear. The cycle is seamlessly endless. It feels like the world is in a similar place again. This time, a slowly unfurling disaster of epic proportions. But I know we can endure if we all work together. How can I be so sure? The Sakura told me so. EDIT: It's now 2021 and the world is still in flux. Yet, the cherry blossom is back in full bloom, and doing even better than last year. EDIT: It's now 2022 and the world is upside down, perhaps even more than ever. We have a new addition to the Sakura family! This teeny tree is a cutting from the original branch and has its first buds ever. Nature prevails. EDIT 2024: Hanami season is a little later than normal this year. Tokyo is thronging with visitors from overseas and from Japan. How times have changed in recent years.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY... The fabulous Lena from Root and Blossom created a business from a personal breakthrough. Now she's helping others to organise their cash and supporting charities along the way. Hi! My name is Lena, and I am the owner of and maker at Root and Blossom. I sell personally handmade, high-quality cash wallets that equip people to be organized with their finances, whether it's for budgeting, currencies when traveling, or staying tidy. Root and Blossom was a brand name I remember hitting me square across the back of my head in 2009 one night while walking through a parking lot to my boyfriend's (now husband) truck. In retrospect, my life lacked many advantages growing up but for whatever reason, I never saw it that way. I've always lived with the mentality that life is what you make of it; regardless of your situation, you need to take root and blossom to thrive. In 2014 my husband and I were young, newly married with a one-year-old and pregnant. We were overwhelmed with the world of money, investing, saving, and spending. We took a financial class that focused on cash budgeting, the idea being that it's critical to physically feel the painful emotions associated with giving money over and seeing money leave your wallet each month that wasn't present when mindlessly swiping a card. I was already quite overwhelmed with switching away from social spending norms that I needed to find a way to make it less of a hassle at the checkout stand fiddling with my money, so I designed, constructed, and began using my wallet! Having all my budgets organized into simple zipped pockets in one place allowed me to organize and handle my money and budgets with ease and confidence. After two years, my husband and I were able to rid ourselves of debt because we now truly felt and saw the value of a dollar. Throughout that experience, I'd got checkout employees and other customers in line asking me where I bought my wallet and how they could get one. I started making individual sales here and there, but then those people had friends or family that they wanted to pass my information along to, which eventually led to my first Etsy wallet sale on September 2, 2014. Over the last five and a half years, I've learned that people around the world desire these wallets for more reasons than my intended purpose, and I adore that! I set out to solve the problem of simplifying budgeting, but I also helped solve the problem of organizing currencies for people who are traveling through multiple countries and thrifty shoppers wanting a practical way to divide their coupons. What I want potential customers to know about my business is that when you buy from Root and Blossom, you're not only supporting a single small business, you're supporting multiple! It's my business philosophy that there is room for everyone, and the success of my business is because of the other team players in the arena. I also find it beautifully poetic that financial frustrations and burdens led me to a place of financial freedom where I now have the means to donate and support charities more than I was capable of previously! The bigger my business grows, the more I can give, and that's what keeps me in it. HOW TO FIND ROOT AND BLOSSOM If you are interested in checking out my cash wallets, please visit my shop at www.rootandblossom.etsy.com! You can also find the latest Root and Blossom information through Instagram, @rootandblossom. XO YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
My name is Tanja Bach, the Founder of Contents Bridge KK, a learning and development company providing action-inspired soft skill training for corporations as well as executive and entrepreneur coaching. We will be adding graphic recording services to our offerings as soon as I have completed the certification process. I'm originally from Germany, grew up in Switzerland, studied in the US and have lived in Japan longer than anywhere else in the world. (Long enough to see that slivers of silver are starting to add sparkle to my dark hair). It's difficult to summarize why I love Japan so much. For starters, my soulmate is Japanese. I also love that Japan is a country of contrasts, modern and old, innovative and traditional. If you open your eyes, there's so much to see. I learned to appreciate the small things and look for beauty everywhere. That's also one reasons I love Bikudesigns. Victoria manages to transform old things into modern jewelry in an innovative and wearable way.
A few months later, Bikudesigns (aka Victoria), started to advertise the Leap Collection 2020, a collection of "unique and never to be repeated" earring designs. I mean: UNIQUE and NEVER to be repeated?! Who doesn't want to wear one of those around town! Plus she turned it into a treasure hunt, only revealing the new designs on the day of. And so I woke up in the morning and checked the Bikudesigns webpage while I drank my cup of coffee. `Cause, you never know, there might be pair I just need to have.... YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
This month we welcome Tokyo-based Jikuu Japan founded by Mayuko Rutledge and Ali Buford. I'm so privileged to know these two savvy business women in person, the loveliest knife sellers in Japan. Tell us a bit about your business. We make handcrafted knives and other kitchen items from Japan. We blend traditional Japanese artistry with newer technologies and design to make modern treasures. How did you meet? We met at our children's’ school and discovered a common love of food, travel and all things made by hand. We also had a surprising history: Mayuko, from Shimane prefecture, was an exchange student in the United States at the same time that Ali, from the US, was part of a travel program in Japan including Shimane. We had the dream to share our love of Japanese things with our friends and family in further flung places (including Tokyo!). Mayuko had relationships with makers in her hometown and once she started introducing Ali to the goods, especially those knives, she was hooked and an idea was born! What's the story behind the knives? We want to help in our small way to breathe life into the tradition of Japanese craftsmanship by connecting people to our products. Our chief artisan’s family has been making knives for centuries and samurai swords before that. There is something special about things that are made by human hands, repeatedly over time. In what ways do you help your customers? Japanese artistry is in a league-of-its-own but can be difficult to access - especially for foreigners. We want to connect our customers to products they love as well as give them information so that they can make the best purchasing decisions for themselves. And finally, we help customers understand how to care for their knives so that they can last a lifetime (or a very, very long time). What sets your business apart from others? Everything is handmade in a tradition centuries old, but re-imagined for modern kitchens. For example, our knives are typically made from high-speed carbon steel so that customers can have a super sharp knife but also one that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance (no oiling needed!) We also provide quality customer care (e.g. generous warranty; classes for sharpening and knife skills; handle replacement for a small fee) so our customers can buy and own with confidence. What's your best seller? Our all purpose knife, the Santoku, and our vegetable knife, the Nakiri are our best sellers and our cornerstone products. We always tell our customers that you can get 99% of basic kitchen tasks completed with these two knives. And, they seem to listen to us! Get in touch with Jikuu Shop online: www.jikuujapan.com Reach out to see our knives in person in Tokyo: info@jikuujapan.com My name is Shelley Sacks and I was born in Cape Town, South Africa. I am an Australian citizen having lived there for 14 years and I am now a Permanent Resident in Japan, after 15 years of an interesting life here. I live in Azabu Juban and I am the owner of Ohana International School, a truly amazing International preschool in Minato-ku, Tokyo. What I love about Japan I love the cleanliness and the order, which makes standing in line for a short person just wonderful. I never have to worry about not being seen or served.....phew. I also love the nature in the countryside of Japan and in particular the rotenburo (outdoor bath). Sitting in an outside onsen in the snow is something extremely special. Why I buy Bikudesigns I buy Bikudesigns for friends and they all absolutely adore their gifts. One of them in the USA who lived in Japan many years ago said that wherever she goes, people remark on her stunning necklace. I love my Bikudesigns brooch and am so happy that Victoria could use the kimono material that I sent her for this and other jewellery that people may purchase. Tell us about your philosophy A huge part of the philosophy/mission statement of my school is "giving back to the community". I love how we give back and share our blessings with others. By giving kimono material that has been in our storage for a long time to someone who I know will use it; by building a kindergarten classroom in rural Cambodia called 'Ohana Learning Tree'; by participating in Place To Grow Santa Soul Train event every year and giving gifts to the children there; by building a home for a family who lost theirs in Typhoon Hainan in Philippines. You might also like these blog posts...
After a Christmas and New Year studio hiatus, it was time to challenge my design muscles and see what my brain could come up with. It needed to be woken up after a very busy year of working in this business. I wanted to challenge my creativity in ways I hadn't before to get myself back into the swing as quickly as possible.
Not just a challenge, a MEGA challenge of daily proportions. That's more like it. 29 pairs of earrings, each unique and created from the materials I had on hand in the studio. No ordering supplies, no popping to the craft shop to stock up...simply what was in front of me. Every day from 1st -29th February, I'll be uploading a pair of one-of-a-kind earrings to the Biku webshop. Each pair is unique and never to be repeated. Keep popping into Facebook and Instagram to see the daily offering. Imagine walking into a restaurant/party/bar wearing something that nobody else owns? Something that they can't actually get even if they wanted to? Something with a story. Are you in?
EQUIPMENT/ PREPARATION Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C Large bowl for dry ingredients Small bowl for wet ingredients Lemon squeezer Measuring jug Strainer Butter knife or other non-sharp knife INGREDIENTS Dry 200g graham flour 300g whole wheat flour 2 tsp salt 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Wet 400ml milk Juice of one lemon 2 tsp honey 1. Mix the two kinds of flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda in the large bowl. Add your extra ingredients and flavours at this point. You could add dried herbs, spices, raisins, dried figs, nuts, seeds...ANYTHING you like! 2. Juice one lemon and add to 400ml of milk to make butter milk. Mix until the mil thickens. Add the honey and mix. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients bit by bit, mixing with a knife. The consistency of the dough will be surprisingly wet and sticky! If it's runny, add some more flour until it turn sticky. 3. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper or a silicone mat if you have one (I'm using up my Costco bulk buy and then switching to silicone). Wet your hands and shape into a ball. 4. Wet a sharp knife and make a deep cross into the top of the dough. Bake for 40 mins at 200 degrees C. NOTE: I've tried this recipe with a mix of rye, strong white flour and wholemeal and other combos too. As long as you have 500g of dry flour ingredients, it should work. Here are some breads I've tried and LOVED: Rosemary Basil Sesame Chia Seed Raisin Fig I'd love to know how you get on with the recipe, so please share your bakes on social media using the hashtag #bikubread and tag me anywhere @bikudesigns. I promise I'll try to share you to my stories.
We've all been there... searching the internet blindly to find that special gift for an important birthday, a special thank you, a pick-me-up for a friend, a graduation, Mothers' Day, Fathers' day...the list really goes on. We spend hours and hours scrolling for that 'special something'. But why do we feel the need to gift that special something in the first place? 1. It shows the receiver that we know them. 2. It shows them we care enough to go the extra mile to find something they'll love. 3. It demonstrates our good taste. 4. We want the receiver to feel unique and valued. 5. We want to support small businesses and all they stand for. 6. We want to shop sustainably, buying items from brands that are not mass-produced. 7. We want a story. Of the hands who made it, the history, where the idea came from. As a maker, I see the work that artisans put into their work and support them as much as I can. I appreciate that they do the same in return for my business. I'm often asked where the Biku concept came from. Back in the day my response was a rather long-winded affair with twists and turns and tales of unrequited design love. But after several years of making, sourcing, talking to kimono vendors, thinking deeply, learning how to pitch, studying, focusing on brand messaging and thinking a LOT more, it boils down to this simple phrase. 'Re-purposing forgotten things.' Forgotten things, places and people make me sad. I wondered, 'How can I make the useless useful? How can I make the once-loved re-loved? How can I make the damaged beautiful? How can I make forgotten things remembered?' And in that process I remembered myself again. On a more detailed level, Biku has a bunch of values that set it apart from other businesses, values that make it unique. The concept is based around 4 elements that came from my own life as a mum and business owner.
The Biku brand is still developing and more ideas are swimming around my head every day. It's pretty exciting stuff to be on this ride, Want to join me?
Subscribe to hear exclusive info about new designs, events and exciting changes ahead. Recently in an eco- group that I'm in on Facebook there was a thread about dish scrubbies, the ones that are made from yarn and are either knitted or crocheted, can be washed in the washing machine and contain no plastic. In Japan they're called 'tawashi' and have been a thing since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, it seems that with the march of progress, these traditional daily objects have been temporarily forgotten....and you know how I feel about forgotten things. Not long ago, I saw them for sale for a reasonable price at a local yarn shop, run by an aging 'obachan', but it's mainly the older generation who still make and use them in their daily lives. Recently though it does seem that they are having a minor comeback as I found a great book in my local craft shop all about handmade tawashi. The Biku brand is all about sustainability and slow-living, and I guess that's something you guys are into too. So I put together a quick tutorial of how to make a very basic tawashi so you can have a go at home. I'll also be doing a little Tawashi Giveaway soon, so make sure to sign up to my newsletter to hear all about it. Maru Tawashi Tutorial Level: Intermediate beginner What you need: A crochet hook- not too large, not too small! We are aiming to reduce our consumption so use what you have, or borrow one! Some yarn- anything will do (recycled from an old sweater is even better for the environment) Scissors A darning needle Stitches: Chain Slip stitch Double crochet Disclaimer: I'm not a professional crocheter, I just crochet for fun and for life! I'll leave the more challenging projects to people like the super-talented (and infinitely patient) Vicky from Ice Flower Crochet.
Uppercase Magazine, is a magazine for the curiously creative, filled with typeface, textiles, paper, art, surface pattern, vintage ephemera and general loveliness. Available by subscription or in art and design book stores internationally. I was already a big fan of Uppercase before being published in the magazine, so I guess that was the first step to getting on the pages. Many of you know that I took part in Marie Forleo's B School this Spring, something that took me two years to pluck up the courage to apply for (hello self-doubt). B School is a two month business course for entrepreneurs who want to grow their business from the heart. In one of the units we were invited to ask ourselves, 'How would you behave if you were the best in the world at what you do?' The activities that followed involved choosing three people we admire and who we want to align ourselves with, shoulder to shoulder. I knew immediately that one of my people would be Janine Vangool, editor extraordinaire, who self-publishes Uppercase Magazine every quarter as well as other books and publications. She is a powerhouse in the design magazine world and I wanted a bit of it! The activity went on to ask students to research everything about the people they chose. Read their latest blog post, find out which books they'd written, what they like/ dislike, follow their social media channels and reach out in some way. Initially I wasn't feeling so bold, so my first reach-out was to subscribe to the newsletter. (Lame, I know!) Then, during the research period, I discovered that Janine was also a B Schooler...I saw it as a sign. And then when I saw a 'Submissions' tab, I clicked to see that she wanted people to write about 'Perfectly Imperfect', and the submission was in a week's time. At this point, I asked myself if I wanted this enough to write the article and reshoot the photos using my DSLR camera for the quality and size they needed for print with only a week to go. The answer was of course, yes. The stars were too aligned to ignore it. After clicking the submit button, I have to admit that I felt slightly nauseous. But what I knew in my heart is if you don't try you are 100% sure to fail, not a single chance of success.
A few weeks later with continued Uppercase radio silence, I assumed my submission had been unsuccessful. Surprisingly, I wasn't that disappointed, I just chalked it up to experience and was proud to have put myself out there. In my eyes I'd already been successful. Taking the steps and not fearing failure was the drive and the win. Who knew? The icing on the cake was when the congratulations email arrived in my inbox, then when the magazine itself arrived in my post box. Reading the submissions and articles from the amazing Uppercase community that Janine has built was inspirational, and with Biku nestled among those beautiful pages, I quietly thanked Marie. They're back in stock after almost selling out completely at The Big Summer Upload. In fact, the brand new collection is now selling quite quickly over in the VIP Club, so I guess I'll be making another batch for the late summer collection. This launch we're doing things a bit differently as you get to choose your bezel finish and the necklace style as well as the fabric. This makes your piece perfectly bespoke and designed for you without the bespoke price tag. Everyone's a winner! I need your colour ideas for the new Autumn/ Winter collection, so please do leave a comment or message me with your ideas. I'm also going to be adding some sashiko pieces as well as Boro and vintage Tenugui for A/W. Which ones would you like to see? GLOSSARY Sashiko: decorative reinforcement stitches used for mending and patching. Traditional decorative sashiko uses mainly indigo fabric with white stitches. Boro: Literally 'rags'. Fabric that has been reinforced with patches and stitches over many decades. Boro is a highly collectible and expensive textile and is usually blue. Tenugui: traditional Japanese hand towel made from cotton. What's Inside?
How can I buy one? This launch is for subscribers to the Bikudesigns Newsletter only. The listings will be uploaded to a closed area of the Bikudesigns website and a secret link will be mailed to subscribers' inboxes the day before the launch . Payment is via credit card. If you want to buy, sign up to the mailing list here. Time Line
The launch is finally live and coming into its last few days. It took a lot out of us to get to this point yet it was all worth it. And probably not in the way you’re thinking. The release was so limited that we were never going to become overnight millionaires! Alex and I started back in October 2018 with the inkling of an idea that we wanted to collaborate on a product line in some way. Alex sourced and ordered the hand-beaded/embroidered bags from an artisan she’d discovered in India and it was then up to me to design and make jewellery prototypes that our customers would love. And that’s where I got a bit stuck. You see, I’m a sucker for colour and pattern and every single kimono I had in stock just wasn’t right. And then I went to the Boroichi in January and found ‘the one’. There she was hanging on a rack looking a little unloved and in mostly great condition. I knew immediately what she would become when I breathed new life into her forgotten fabric. So the collection was ready and could now picture the type of shoot we wanted. After many Pinterest boards focusing on the look and feel of the shoot, wardrobe and even poses, we were ready to approach our models. There was also a process behind this. We first wanted to make sure that the models were women we knew. Real people, with real bodies and real lives and all very different from each other. We wanted to enjoy ourselves on the day and show our customers that our products work equally well in formal or casual situations, for any body type, hair colour, skin tone or age. No discrimination. We didn’t let the fact that we had had no experience of running a photo shoot stop us. No, it wasn’t perfect (we forgot to pack a hairbrush for the location shoot and it was a bit windy and dry - hello static!). We weren’t sure of how much to direct the shoot as we were worried that we would step on our photographer’s toes. I now realise that having a camera directly linked to a laptop is essential for the creative director to see what the camera sees. It so hard standing at an angle (out of shot) to know what you’re getting. But it still turned out fine. We went into the shoot to learn a new skill not to make sales. It worked out that this was cheaper and more effective than any course could ever have been. A course would have been helpful to set the steps in place, but it wouldn’t have helped us to remember to pack a hairbrush. You might also enjoy...
A little close-up of the Kim collection which comprises of the Meera clutch, Musubime neckpiece and cuff. We'll be launching very soon and we're getting so excited to push that button on launch day. Are you with us?
Remember the Bikudesigns x Turquoise Port creative collaboration we keep talking about? Well today you can see some of the limited edition items in close-up that will be launched VERY soon.
The Meera clutch is made by hand in India from a combination of gold rattan, hand-embroidery and hand-beading. Inside there is a nifty little detachable antique bronze chain making this a perfect little bag for a brunch or evening cocktails. It's so easy to dress up or down depending on the event. The Musubime cuff is so light and easy to wear that you won't even know it's there. Made from a turquoise vintage iro-muji kimono, the bracelet gives you a little hint of the matchy-matchy with the Meera clutch, without overdoing it. A couple of days ago Alex from Turquoise Port and I launched our creative collaboration project and cheekily didn't show you the items we have been working on. So here they are on an actual person, on a street in Tokyo. All of the jewellery pieces are made from a single turquoise iro-muji vintage kimono, sourced at January's Boroichi.
Our collection comprises of: Meera clutch-hand embroidered and beaded with a chain strap Harisashi stud earrings Harisashi dangle earring Harisashi fabric pendant on a chain (long or short) Musubime neckpiece Musibime cuff Launch day is fast approaching so make sure you are firmly in the loop to hear about when and how you can get your hands on these limited edition pieces. Thank you to our amazing models: https://www.instagram.com/qintokyo/ https://www.instagram.com/sayamatcha/ https://www.instagram.com/lia__kim/ Alex Morrow from Turquoise Port and I have been working furiously behind the scenes since 2018 to design a creative collaboration of bags and jewellery. This was the first time either of us had worked with another business, planned and creatively directed a photo shoot with a professional photographer or launched a joint campaign. To say it was a steep learning curve is somewhat of an understatement. Thanks so much to our fantastic models and photographer who worked all day to create the look and feel we wanted. They were all so patient with us newbies. One of the the nicest things someone said to me lately was, "I just want to follow you around to see where you go and what you're buying when you go on your sourcing days." Sourcing kimono is a key part of my job. I need to see and feel the kimono in person and nothing I buy is sourced online. I look for damaged kimono that have almost no life left in them as garments and that feel right to me in a tactile as well as in an emotional sense. I'm especially driven towards pieces that are hanging on the rack looking forgotten and forlorn, in that instant I can easily picture the kimono as something else. This beautiful piece was a recent find at the January Boroichi (rag market) where this exact kimono sourcing process took place. It's such a thrill heading out to the market, empty suitcase trundling behind me with no idea of what's waiting to be discovered. I usually have an idea of the colours I'm looking for as the gaps in my collection are becoming quite clear these days, and over the years I've begun to understand what my customers like and the kind of fabric I enjoy working with. There are some big changes ahead this year for my business. Starting with the complete studio move and overhaul. It's time to put some effort into the space that brings me joy. I'll be blogging about my new space over the coming weeks. Stay in touch with updates by subscribing to become a Biku Insider where you'll hear all about releases, offers, giveaways and events before anyone else. You might also enjoy...
If you've been around here a while, you'll know that the geometric fabrics are a firm fave. This one is calm and collected with a delicate honeycomb background and aubergine and teal slashes. Look closely and you'll see that the slashes are also patterned with the classic 'seigaiha' motif. Modernist with a nod to the traditional. Bravo! You might also enjoy reading...
I love to talk to people in person at fairs and events, it's the way I can get the message about 'mottainai' out there. It's important to say what you do out loud, and really hear yourself saying it. Everything makes much more sense when you tell your story. Over the years, there are many questions that I've been asked over and over again which have helped me to create my FAQ page. Thanks for asking the questions, you've really helped me gain more clarity with my brand. Do you ever feel guilty breaking up a kimono? Before I buy a kimono there are several things I consider.
I respect the skill, commitment and tradition that has gone into the creation of a kimono before I buy it. There are the silk makers, the weavers and the kimono artisans who print, paint and dye the fabric into beautiful designs. How long does it take to break down a kimono? This all depends on the age and type of kimono. If it has been hand-sewn, then the breakdown is much quicker than machine-sewn ones. On average it takes around 45 minutes to an hour to take a kimono apart. Then hand washing, drying, discarding the unusable parts and finally hanging on skirt hangers before storing on a rack in my studio. Often the kimono lining is so damaged that it has to be discarded completely. Do you sell kimono scraps? At the moment I don't sell off-cuts or fabric but I'm thinking about selling some in the future as my collection is growing daily and I don't have space to store them all! How long does it take to make a neckpiece/ bracelet/ earrings? How long is a piece of string?! I make my pieces in batches of 10-20 and make them as a small production line. It may take 4-5 days to make 20 neckpieces but sometimes longer. And the kimono sourcing is all done in person, so that time needs to be added on to the final price too. Can I work for you for free? Wow! Thanks for your kind offer but I don't offer internships at this time. If you are interested in working for me and have relevant sewing skills including using a sewing machine, please do get in contact with me to see if we might be a good fit. Can I recreate one of your designs for myself? I can't stop you from making my designs at home, but your morals might! Every time you make a piece using my design, that is a potential loss of earning for me. And each design I make is part of a long process of testing prototypes and materials. So if you're OK with that.... Please don't copy my designs for financial gain. That's actually illegal. Do you ever teach workshops? I used to teach a lot of creative workshops but have since stopped as I wanted to focus on my jewellery business. In the Spring I'm partnering up with Alex at Turquoise Port to teach in-person Instagram for small businesses coming up in the next few months once our BETA course is complete. Watch this space. If I place a custom order with you, how long does it take? There are usually lots of back and forth emails before a customer places an actual order. But once the style and the silk is decided and the order is placed, it takes around 2-3 weeks until it is shipped, depending on the waiting list. Do you do wholesale orders? Yes, I do. Orders start at 10 pieces of the same style but you can choose the colours. Please contact me directly if you are interested in wholesale or distribution rates. More questions? Comment below or sign up for news to hear more.
Every Friday, starting this week, I'll be featuring a kimono fabric from my ever growing collection (it's a sickness I tell ya!). This fabric is a heavy roketsu-zome silk with a satin sheen. So soft and supple and definitely makes a huge statement with its bold tangerine-green-indigo colour-way. P.S. I'll be popping more shots of this kimono in my newsletter to give you a clearer picture of the texture and close-up details. Are you on the list yet? You might also enjoy...
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I'm Victoria, the founder, designer and creator at Bikudesigns, a vintage kimono accessories brand in Tokyo, Japan. Categories
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