Meeting Yagi-san
We met Yagi-san at the Arimatsu Shibori Festival in 2024, where she was selling her original, one-of-a-kind handmade designs. At the end of the festival, as we were heading off, she surprised us by gifting me an oversized aloha-style shirt made from a tomesode (留袖, tomesode) kimono, featuring a red-crowned crane (丹頂鶴, tanchōzuru) in full flight. I had avoided oversized clothing before then as I am on the thinner side, but upon wearing the shirt, I received many compliments on the fit and design.
Joy and Laughter with Friends
At the time, I was heading back to Tokyo from Nagoya by bicycle, and she warmly invited us to stop by her home. I took her up on the offer. That night, she laid out a futon in her living room and welcomed me not just as a guest, but as a friend. Over the course of the day, her house became a hub of joy and laughter as her close friends, who help her set up and sell their own goods, dropped by. I was touched by how her creativity is a avenue for her to connect with her community and friends.
Aji (味) and her Design Philosophy
Yagi-san shared with me that growing up, she didn’t see herself reflected in traditional Japanese fashion. The standardized shapes and sizes didn’t fit her, so she began making her own clothing; garments that are free-size and suitable for all shapes and sizes. She shared that as she designs garments, she imagines the person who will wear it and adapts it to their body. Whether petite or full-bodied, tall or short, her clothing celebrates the differences of each human body.
Yagi-san also often uses the word aji (味, aji), which means "taste" or "flavor" in Japanese. She describes what others may call flaws in the fabric as things that give the garment a different flavor or suitable to those have the taste for it. Some of these details may come out in the wash, and others will remain, telling the story of the fabric, how it was used and loved, or stored away for decades, now finally able to breathe again and given a second life. This history becomes aji (味, aji), giving the garment character, telling a story in itself and appreciating the fabric.
Her Dream, 🌺 Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
To save enough from sewing to visit Hawaii and go to the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. A dream that I hope to help her reach.
