The drawing stage

In the drawing stage, after determining the patterns and placement with consideration given to the kimono design, type, season, and purpose, a drawing is made on paper at the actual size of the kimono to show how it will look when completed. These processes are referred to as producing a soko guide.

A karieba, which is made up of fabrics that have been cut and loosely sewed to the kimono shape, is placed above the soko guide, and an under-drawing is made directly on the fabric with a special dye that disappears when it comes into contact with water. This under-drawing is like a skeleton, and it can be thought of as the most important foundational process essential to producing a beautiful and perfect kimono during the subsequent yuzen dyeing and shishu embroidery stages.

Artisans must have thorough kimono knowledge, understand natural and classic beauty, and have the artistic talent and skill to render those things with a brush. Additionally, the work of directly rendering on the karieba is difficult in terms of technique. In order to become a professional, one must train for many years and learn the feeling of rendering with a brush through actual experience. While GION SAITO is a retail shop, it also prides itself on producing original kimonos through custom inhouse work. Thus, we also have artisans overseeing the drawing stage in our company, and continue to create original designs daily.