Antique Fukuro Obi Silk

This concept skirt and top are built from an antique Obi and will feature a wide black waistband to define the space between the bodice and skirt. As the Obi are very stiff, this garment will also be much more structured than traditional modern wear.

Sooo, this concept changed a bit when I started working with a model and tried to fit my design to her body.

Final Design as modeled in the Cherry Creek Bastille Day Fashion Show 2025.

I added darts to give the bodice more shape and fringe to include movement and a slight 1920s vibe.

I am honored that I was selected as one of the designers for the 2025 Bastille Day Fashion Show in Cherry Creek, Colorado. kaeMy inspiration for this collection was the work of Paul Poiret, a designer who was influential in women’s fashion for the first two decades of the 20^th century. Poiret’s designs eliminated the need for the constricting corset women had to wear in that era.

One of my looks, this two-piece outfit in gold and orange featuring a corset back (without the constricting shape) is a nod to Poiret’s step away from the corset in the early 1900s. That look includes lace and fringe trim, a beaded collar necklace, a Kumihimo beaded bracelet, and a coordinating bag of kimono fabric.

This beautiful image, provided by PhotoMaki in Denver, shows how the lines travel across the brocade garment and bag together.

Special thanks to Brandi McMichael, the French American Chamber of Commerce of the Rocky Mountains, and Fashion Denver for a lovely day!