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Cultural Tapestry: Unveiling the Distinctive Charms of Downtown San Francisco, from Chinatown's 'A Little Japan' to Multifaceted Cultural Exchanges

  • Sep 12, 2024
  • 4 min read

By Courtney Coleman

May 22, 2022


The silk robe style historically originated in China during the Wu dynasty, but their version is called a “hanfu” which is a direct ancestor of the Japanese kimono. The Japanese call kimonos “gofuku” and it came into fashion for their culture during the Heian period in 794 AD to 1185 AD. The kimono has multiple layers and the hanfu is on a simpler side of traditional dress. The kimono gives the shape of the body a straight figure and the hanfu is a slight contour to the body. 


KIM + ONO, a Chinese brand with a handcrafted kimono robe and wellness shop in Downtown San Francisco Chinatown. KIM + ONO takes on the more laid back approach to the kimono and has the astonishing handcrafted-ness with prints of the botanical gardens while shaping the body in a modern robe figure.


“While our modern kimono robes do not replicate traditional Japanese kimono, they are heavily inspired by the craftsmanship and functionality of these historical garments, as well as our founders’ own families’ Chinese and Japanese heritages, experiences with kimono as young girls, and vintage Asian art.”


You may be wondering, why is this Chinese family making a piece from Japanese culture?


shot by KIM+ONO
Renee and Tiffany

The Founders, Renee and Tiffany, are sisters who were astonished by kimonos when they were children and to them kimono equals one thing, family. They used their craftsmanship to introduce garments in helping small villages and poverty stricken people, alongside their parents, for the betterment of generations to come. Taking over the family business in 2004, they transitioned the brand to a more modern take on a very traditional ideology.


Their mission is to “bring more beauty to your life everyday. We wanted to create a product and an ethos that supports the modern (wo)man, breathes life into the things that are important to her, all while empowering the modern (wo)man to feel as incredible, versatile, and beautiful as she truly is. No matter who you are and no matter how you wear our charmeuse and silk kimono robes, our biggest dream is that you feel like the best, most confident version of you. Because at the end of the day, you, lovely, are the most beautiful part of wearing these pieces.”


When it comes to the process of making the kimonos, their importing and sourcing is from Asia creating a relationship with manufacturer China’s Silk Village. Another family owned business ran by a father and son who makes impeccable patterns. They design all of their kimonos in San Francisco. They always try to highlight the seasons in their kimono designs, making everything correlate as closely as they can with the color schemes matching with the customer's skin tones.


shot by KIM+ONO
STORE FRONT

The beautiful breast strokes and images that come together on the kimono are created by Ping, the artist. She is one of the creative parts of the team creating original pieces for each kimono. Her process is to first sketch by hand then saturate the bold colors with watercolors using a traditional paintbrush and spending about seven days on each kimono. 


The souring of the textiles is handled by Houbin, the innovator. Hand selecting the high quality fabrics for production, the manufacturing process. And to make sure your kimono fits to perfection they have Youyuan, the tailor. Looking on the inside and outside of the kimono, the stitch style is made to fit in a “T” shape and then tied with a belt. Not using an astronomical amount of fabrics on the robes and made to last for years. 


And the last of the team is the inspector, Rongjain. He is in charge of looking over the kimonos and looking for nothing but utter perfection. He preps the kimonos for shipment whether they are going directly to a customer from online purchase or to the shop to be sold from the racks.


shot by KIM+ONO
CAMPAIGN BY KIM+ONO

A previous customer, who wished to not be named, gave the review of the shop and was very pleased with the quality, quantity, and versatility in KIM + ONO. She left the shop with the Peony & Butterfly Kimono Robe, retailing for $130.00 (without tax). She said this robe caught her eye and she will return to get more in different shades. It was the attentiveness the brand has when it comes to catering to their customers, everyone is welcome no matter the size, color, or gender.










WORK CITED

“Robe History.” Dynasty Robes, https://www.dynastyrobes.com/fusce-consectetur 

“Handcrafted Kimono Robes for Modern (WO)Men: Kim+Ono.” Kimandono.com, https://kimandono.com/ 

“About Us: Handcrafted Kimono Robe Company: Kim + Ono.” Kimandono.com, https://kimandono.com/pages/about-us-2020 

Trucco, Terry. “All about Japanese Kimonos.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Aug. 1982, https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/travel/all-about-japanese-kimonos.html 

“Diverse San Francisco: Chinese American Heritage.” San Francisco Travel, https://www.sftravel.com/article/diverse-san-francisco-chinese-american-heritage 

What Is the Difference between a Japanese Kimono and a Chinese Kimono? https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-Japanese-kimono-and-a-Chinese-kimono 

“Meet the Makers: Kimono Designers & Artists: Kim + Ono.” Kimandono.com, https://kimandono.com/pages/meet-the-makers 


 
 
 

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