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Fans love this couple’s home accessories made from Kimono fabrics.

By on March 16, 2020

Over the last 30 years, the sales of Japan’s traditional garment, the Kimono,  written in kanji characters 着物 ‘a thing to wear’, has been in continuous decline. Fewer women are seen wearing it and only in celebratory occasions.

Though the Japanese look upon kimonos strictly as clothing, many art aficionados display them at home as textile art because of its Japan-specific patterns.

But now that most kimonos just sit in closets, a French-Japanese couple, Caroline and Yuji are inspired to breathe new life into these expensive silk textiles. Piecing together Kimono, Obi and Yukata fabrics, they have created handmade interior goods and accessories, including lovely purses, cosmetic pouches, clutch bags and cushion covers.

The couple runs Monoya Tokyo, an online shopping site on Etsy for Japanese Vintage Textile & Original Creation. Curating patterns is no mean feat even with a good fabric. But the couple’s simplistic style highlights the beauty of the fabric and craftsmanship which is why many adoring fans love Monoya’s home accessories.

Here are some glimpses of the finished products with comments from satisfied fans. These cushion covers make stunningly beautiful accents for the home.

photo by Mikolaj Kolacz  “”Beautiful hand-made products with heart and soul. Thank you Caroline and Yuji. “

photo by Madeleine Destexhe

“Congratulations to you and Caroline for your beautiful achievements, the fabric quality is very beautiful as well as the rich patterns.
I’m pleased with my cushions, they look great on my couch. I wish you every success,” writes Madeleine Destexhe on the comments page.

photo by Sandrine LE DU

“I love it. It is magnificent. In addition, the sellers are the best. I recommend them with eyes closed,” says Sandrine.

photo by Séverine Philippo  “Cushion covers made with the greatest care. Neat finishes, I’m really happy with my acquisition and even more that it was handmade. Bravo for all this work. 😄👍“

Because of the positive feedback on the couple’s products, they were scheduled to do a pop-up market on March 27 but had to be postponed to a later-to-be-announced date due to the coronavirus situation in Japan.

Caroline went online with a message in French translated into English:

“Come on, it’s not all doom and gloom!
After several months working on items, enjoying it and pouring  our hearts into it, we are really very excited to introduce you to our new website and online store: https://www.monoyatokyo.com/

It’s a pretty tough time everywhere even for budding businesses like theirs. But supporting this lovely couple also means getting to take home and appreciate a beautiful piece of art. It’s a win-win!

 

 

 

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