Okimono Kimono

The book is fully translated into English with gorgeous illustrations, but you already have to have some base knowledge about kimono (not that much) to really understand the artistic aspect that Mokona takes with her traditional clothing. Even someone who doesn’t know a little about kimono can enjoy this book, but the more you know, the more of the layers you can pick up on :)I definitely recommend it for fans of kimono (it will encourage you to research into it) and for CLAMP fans who want to get a frank interview with most of the CLAMP members (I don’t think Ohkawa Ageha-san is featured at all). Love the book! It was so insightful and fun!

this book is basically an artist's personal journal, the type that includes clippings from magazines, and the artists own photographs, sketches & commentary on all of the above. Of course, when it's someone like Mokona of CLAMP, that adds up to a lot! There are collage assembly photos, sketches of actual kimono-in-progress, photos of completed work, interviews, even places to go and places to eat! LOTS AND LOTS of pictures! But not just eye candy, also plenty of useful info.

This is a book on kimono fashion, and mostly contains photographs. It is a really great reference for those who want a bit of a primer into Kimono. The presentation of information is really easy to read and understand, and the copious amount of photos make it enjoyable to even just thumb through.

Mokona is one of my favorite artists and manga-ka's and this art book is does not disappoint. Her illustrations and kimono designs are incredible. A must own for all CLAMPS fans.

A good picture book, but not very informative. I was expecting to learn more about how to wear kimono and what goes good together and why, what's formal/informal, kimono etiquette, ect. The book just has 'This kimono is youthful", 'This kimono would be good for a day on the town", and no why to it. The kimonos displayed are beautiful though.

A neat little read with inspiring drawings.

Cute book!

The book is wonderful. I received it as a present and love it.

I'll start off by saying, every CLAMP fan should own this! No questions about it!Or if you are studying fashion and want tips about Japanese fashion including kimonos then this is a must buy for you!It is bigger than a normal manga book but slimmer so it doesn't take up much room.The cover features Kobato and Ioryogi (the blue dog) from "Kobato."All the pages are in colour and the print quality is excellent.When I first bought this book, I didn't know what to expect. I simply bought it because I'm a huge CLAMP fan. But I'm really glad I did. There is so much information in here about kimonos that I just never knew before! I couldn't put it down.The book reads right to left and it begins with a couple of paragraphs from Mokona about why this book was made.Then there are some photographs of models wearing kimonos and the backgrounds are drawn by Nekoi Tsubaki.Also in this book are a lot of sketches and photos of different kimonos with explanations on how they are made.Mokona meets Onuki Ami (TV presenter and member of the J-Pop group, PUFFY) and they talk about kimonos, work and manga.We then take a stroll around Asakusa, Tokyo in different kimonos.Chapter 4 of the book shows different accessories for kimonos.There is another interview but this time Mokona meets Yumioka Katsumi who owns a kimono shop.It includes a short story called "Horan" drawn by CLAMP member Nekoi Tsubaki and a short essay called "Chipmunk's Paulownia Chest" written by Igarashi Satsuki.Basically, this book is about kimonos and fashion. If you are not a fan of these or CLAMP then this book will not interest you.

Manga leaves me cold, but the fact that the author is a manga artist is purely coincidental. This book is full of great photos of kimono ensembles, including hime style - lots of inspiration for those of us who are mad for the Taisho Roman era. Pix of co-ordinating your outfits to your surroundings, interviews with kimono experts. Great little book - I'm really enjoying it.