 ON is located in the area where craftsmen practicing Nishijin weaving, a traditional textile produced in Kyoto, used to live. The brand name MON has two different meanings. One comes from ?Kamon?, an emblem that identifies an individual or family in Japan. The other is from a French word that means ?my/my own.? MON offers various goods, which they design by using a Kamon as a motif and giving a modern twist to its look.
The history of Kamon started about 1000 years ago when the aristocracy created their own symbols to identify their family lines. It eventually spread over the entire samurai class. At wartime, warriors fought for the dignity of their family and carried flags that with their family crest printed on them. On the other hand, ordinary people, who didn't have surnames at the time, used a symbol to represent their family line over a period of time. Subsequently the Kamon was also adapted to various items from clothes like kimono to vehicles like ox carriages, as well as furniture or tableware. Especially after the Meiji era (1868-1912) when democratic movements occurred, kimonos with Kamon have been acknowledged as the most formal kind of dress.
Today, it is said there are as many as 50,000 different types of Kamon. Motifs are chosen from diverse figures like plants, animals, food, numbers as well as personal belongings. Then it is developed to create a graphical symbol. Many people are amazed by the finely honed quality of Kamon designs. Starting at the Paris Expo at the end of the 19th century, the Japanism movement widely spread over European countries and KAMON design received critical acclaim.
A textile designer, Kazumi Yamakura, is also among those who are deeply fascinated by the aesthetics of Kamon. The more she learned, the more she found how interesting and mysterious they are. She wondered: How could she let people know about the allure and design quality of Kamon? That?s the reason why she founded her own brand, MON.
MON focuses on combining a traditional craft that has been passed on in KYOTO and an established Kamon emblem to create products that people can use in everyday life. The product line includes accessories like scarves, ties and bags as well as clothes for children. The main price range is set under 10,000 yen. Fabrics are bought in Kyoto and production is done by craftsmen who take over the skills of Nishijin weavers, and they are working near MON. At last but not least, the sophisticated sense and ideas of Kazumi Yamakura added extra charm to the products. Now MON has come into the world with a totally new style. |
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Cotton purse with a metal clasp 1,500 yen
small 980 yen |
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Silk scarf (M) 9,800 yen
(Large / Small) 3,980 yen ? |
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Shingen Bukuro: Its form is made after a bag that a brave warlord ?Shingen Takeda? used to use.
In Kyoto, men wearing yukatas often carry this bag in the summer. 5,000 yen |
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TEL: +81-(0)75-406-0137 FAX: +81-(0)75-406-0137
Address: 4-11 Nihonmatsu-cho, Shimochoujamachi dori Senbon higashi iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
Available languages: English, Japanese
Website: http://www.mon-kazumi.com/
Credit cards: Not Accepted (Cash Only) |
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