A karaginu is a short jacket of brocade, perhaps embroidered or painted, with relatively narrow sleeves. I juxtaposed this concept with the stunning quilted surface embroidery techniques common to working-class peasantry kimono. To avoid too much of a good thing, I limited the quilting stitch to the garment body and the sleeve cuffs. The result is a sophisticated little jacket to suit any occasion.

This kimono features an unusual square neckline that is mitered at the inside corners and faced for weight and stability. I detailed the front edge with attached knitted cord to provide a definitively Asian design element when the jacket is worn open and functional buttonholes when worn closed. Th e fi nishing work is time intensive for this kimono, but well worth the effort—the construction warrants couture designation.