OK, Yoko --

Here is my story about one woman's experience on the path toward a deeper appreciation of Japanese cultural esthetics.

As I mentioned briefly in my earlier e-mail, a few years ago the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago sponsored a series of local events to mark the 150th anniversary of the "opening" of Japan to the West. The event that I attended was a demonstration and presentation by one of the leading kimono schools in Japan. (The name of the school eludes me at the moment, but I have the information at home if you are interested). This event was held in an auditorium at the Art Institute of Chicago.

There was not an empty seat in the house, and it gave me a very interesting sense of how strong the appeal of Japanese costume must be for so many Western women like me.

The majority of the presentation was a modeling and demonstration of contemporary kimono, with an explanation of the various garment styles and obi tying styles. Most of the models, of course, had dressers, but one part of the demonstration showed how a woman could dress herself, and even tie her own obi, with a few clever tricks and deft moves. That was quite impressive.

The array of contemporary kimono were magnificent, of course. But for sheer drama, the high spot of the event -- at least for me -- was a demonstration of a Heian era court costume, the same type of feudal costuming that you referred to in your description of the yaegasane kimono style.

To begin, the young woman who modeled this astounding style of dress had been chosen because her features and physical stature were close to the classic Heian standard of beauty. She was quite petite, actually, and her hair was virtually unstyled, parted in the middle and left to hang simply down her back.

When she first appeared on stage, she was already wearing six layers of under-kimono, each displaying a flash of color at the neckline, sleeves and hem. Then, one by one, six more exquisite, bright kimono were layered onto her shoulders, until she was supporting a floating rainbow of silk. Atop these 12 brilliant layers of color they added the brocaded outer kimono, heavily figured in gold. The end result just took my breath away!

As you mentioned in describing the yaegasane style, the multitude of under-kimono in this costume was an indication that this woman would have been of extremely high status at court, and perhaps even a member of the royal family.

They then asked this young woman to walk across the stage, and explained how a woman dressed in this way -- despite the enormous weight of her layered garment -- was expected to take tiny forward steps so she would appear to float across the floor without effort.

It occurred to me at the time that this woman of the court was perceived as a precious bird inside a cage of layered silk, capable of no physical exertion other than slow, stylized movement and controlled facial expressions. But my fascination with the formal, intensely orchestrated beauty of her costuming has lingered a long, long time -- so much so that I have been trying to find a Japanese doll dressed accurately in the Heian style, with no luck thus far.

Now you understand even more why -- when I saw the yaegasane style of the uchikake that I've just purchased -- it triggered such a positive response. The mystique of those layered silken garments of the Heian court -- so calculated in their esthetic appeal, and so impossibly impractical to wear -- has obviously got its hold on me! But I don't mind a bit. It's not a bad thing to be able to slip back into the mindset of a Heian princess, every now and again.

And now, back to reality. Thank you for pointing out the many interesting things you are showcasing in your gallery. I did not get a chance to visit that part of your site, but I will definitely go there now. My greatest regret is that I don't sew, other than a little by hand, and so can't really use your fabric remnants, much as I would love to!

Most of my creativity -- when I'm not writing advertising, which is what I do for a living -- is focussed on jewelry making. And yet, there's not much conventional jewelry worn with traditional Japanese costuming, is there? Well, why would there be...when the fabrics of the garments themselves are more dazzling than most jewels could ever be?

It's a pleasure, as always, to be in touch with you, and your focus on esthetics in Japanese culture and design certainly requires no apology in the context of doing business. Anyone can sell me something...but you and your Web site offer so much more. That's why people like me are likely to keep coming back to you. I hope you never, ever change.

-Best regards,

-Barbara