As the current host of the Olympics, Japan took the initiative to pull off something special for the participating countries and for the countries of the nations they have diplomatic ties with.
They created custom kimonos for each country via The Kimono Project, by the Japanese organisation, Imagine One World. And might we add, all the kimonos are absolutely gorgeous.
But, obviously, the one that stood out to us was Malaysia’s kimono, which was created by Takehana-Sensho, while the kimono’s obi (a kimono’s accompanying sash) was created by Hattori Orimono Co., Ltd.
“The national symbol, the Petronas Twin Towers, and the stripes, stars and moon drawn on the Malaysian flag are taken in large size, and the national flower, the hibiscus, is drawn by as many as 40 students in the class. Traditional batik is also colourful and in recent years, Malaysia, which has been growing rapidly, has been created youthfully,” shared Takehana-Sensho.
“Focusing on Peranakan culture, the pattern of chintz is luxuriously hand-woven using genuine gold leaf,” Hattori Orimono Co., Ltd added, in regards to the obi.
According to a report by The National, it took the organisation a total of six years to complete all 213 kimonos, as they included other countries other than the 205 countries that are taking part in the Olympics.
A kimono was made for North Korea, before they withdrew from the games, and kimonos were made for each of the countries making up Great Britain. They also included kimonos for Niue and Vatican City, and even received a special request for a French Polynesian kimono.
“Through our creativity, we have found a lot of beautiful scenery, cultures and the pride of each country. As we learn well about a country, we found that our attachment to the country was naturally enhanced,”
“We continue to believe that the kimono is the best way to express our respect for each country because they are designed with wishes of happiness and prosperity to those who wear them. We hope the world will recognise through our project that no matter how different our religions, economic or political conditions are, beauty is a joy we can all share. From this point of view, we can join hands together with every country to make harmony and unity,” shared a Kimono Project spokesperson.
You can check out all the kimonos here.
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Also read: Did You Know Tom Daley Also Knitted A Cardigan For Malaysian Diver, Jun Hoong?
