Kimonos sure have been getting a lot attention on the internet this week (you’ve probably poked around a few #KimOhNo Twitter threads by now).
In a tiny redemption of kimono integrity, we have for you today a kimono that has been attracting the right kind of social media attention.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is currently in the city of Osaka, Japan for the G20 summit, which kicked off earlier today. As he and major political leaders from around the world meet to discuss international finance policy and issues over the next two days, PM Lee took to social media this morning to post these images of himself, alongside his wife Ho Ching.
In the photos, the couple are seen posing with a Japanese representative at the summit, Yui Yamada, who wore a special Singapore-ified kimono to greet the Lees.
“Received a gracious welcome yesterday evening by Miss Yui Yamada in her unique kimono – a beautiful blend of exquisite Japanese workmanship and the iconic sights and symbols of Singapore!” he wrote in a post published on his Facebook page this morning.
The traditional handwoven kimono seen on Yamada was designed by students from Kagoshima Prefecture, who integrated the Lion City’s most iconic imagery into the cloth: the Merlion, our national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim and the Singapore skyline.
The design was first unveiled by the Singapore embassy in Tokyo in March this year, and was produced as part of the ambitious “Imagine Oneworld” project launched five years ago. The project aims to make kimonos representing each of the 196 countries expected to join the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Most of the people who commented on PM Lee’s post expressed pride and approval at seeing this aspect of Singaporean culture represented in an event as globally significant as the G20 summit, which typically gathers leaders from the countries with the biggest and fastest-growing economies in the world.
Some were also quick to compare the kimono to reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s latest business venture — a new line of form-fitting shapewear named Kimono — pointing out that this garment is a good example of cultural appreciation, and not appropriation.
In case you’re not yet familiar with the Kardashian kontroversy of the week, Kim’s choice to name her shapewear line after the traditional Japanese garment — as well as her attempt to file a trademark on the name for this brand in the US — has (rightfully) provoked the ire of internet users across the world, particularly among English-speaking individuals of Japanese descent.
The kimono is seen as a significant piece of Japan’s historical, cultural and artistic pride, and is usually only worn for formal affairs. Kardashian’s attempt to claim the word for her line of what’s essentially underwear is being criticized for being an ignorant act of cultural appropriation.
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