Japanese Wedding Dresses Beyond the Kimono

Pretty bridal dresses by Japan bridal boutique Micie

2011-03-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Micie bridal boutique in Tokyo, Japan (Aoyama and Motoazabu) makes the prettiest gowns that range from simple and chic to glamorous. I picked some of the gowns pictured below for their intricate detailing, particularly on the bodice and back. Feast your eyes on the following wedding dress eye candy.

The puffed sleeves and belt give this classic gown a retro feel.

I love the interesting and unexpected back detailing on these gowns.

Frothy layers at the back give this gown an element of fantasy.

A playful bow gives this strapless gown a pretty focal point.

The interesting draping on the bodice gives this strapless A-line gown a unique twist.

Fancy detailing at the back gives this gown a playful element.

Pretty in pink A-line gown with an elegant shirred bodice

A gown that's a simple bustier in the front with a surprise at the back.

Beautiful lotus-inspired detailing on the bodice

Kimono-inspired obi and back detailing

Website

Stunning bridal gowns from Tokyo boutique Juliet Rosa

2011-03-03T23:12:00.000-08:00

Tokyo bridal boutique Juliet Rosa has a stunning collection of bridal gowns ranging from simple and elegant to chic avant-garde. Any bride will surely want to step into these beauties!

I love the pretty floral print on this elegant and simple A-line gown!

Pretty in pink ballgown with a frothy chiffon skirt.

Darling 2-piece wedding floral print dress. The balloon skirt is a playful and unexpected touch.

Simple but attention-grabbing 2-piece strapless A-line gown with a bustled skirt.

Classic strapless A-line gown with fabric rosette. The veil edged with floral lace creates a lovely impact.

This empire-waist gown has a classic cut on the top but has a surprising twist below.

This pink gown with a layered, uneven skirt will turn heads for sure.

I love how clean this gown looks on top and avant-garde and offbeat below.

Beautiful classic gown with an uneven layered skirt.

Sweet princess-line gown with an asymmetrical hem and a burst of chiffon below.

Website

Chic silk and lace modern wedding gowns by 1+1

2011-03-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

Japanese atelier 1+1 One Plus One is made up of two bridal fashion designers, chief designer Yukinori Morinaga who has been designing wedding gowns since 1988 and Masami Miyanishi, an independent fashion and costume designer. 1+1 is reknowned for sticking to only the basic silk and lace combination when designing bridal dresses so, as a result, their gowns have a pristine quality that exudes purity and sheer sophistication. The addition of precise draping and origami folding techniques make the gowns structural works of art. See some of their work below.

Website

Ginza Couture Naoco's Fun and Feminine 2011 Bridal Dress Collection

2011-03-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Ginza Couture Naoco's pretty wedding dresses have that certain quality that makes you go "awwww!" If you want gowns that will make you feel like a princess without losing your girlish charm, their dresses are the way to go. The dresses have a sophisticated air but they also have a childlike and innocent appeal through the addition of playful elements like rosettes, rows of big and small bows, ruffles, pleats, cascading ribbons, and more. See their selection of sweet, darling wedding dresses below.

More of their gorgeous gowns can be found at their website.

Bibi Bridal House' Kimono Couture Collection

2011-03-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Japanese Bridal House Bibi's original Kimono Couture collection features modern-cut gowns with elaborate twists, turns and textures. Check out some of my picks below.

Wedding gown with multi-colored floral lace texture, a chiffon sash and skirt overlay and scattered silk rosettes. I love the unexpected details on this sophisticated gown.

Sleek silk A-line wedding dress and asymmetrical tiered skirt ruffles

Sweet empire-cut wedding dress with off-the-shoulder chiffon sleeves and lace ruffles

Blush pink Princess-line wedding dress. The bodice is adorned with a chiffon rosette and the skirt is overlayed with bustled chiffon.

A-line dress in gold kimono fabric. I love how the fabric layers on the bodice opens up like petals on a flower.

Princess-line wedding dress covered in lace flowers and multi-colored fabric rosettes. Funky and romantic at the same time!

A modern take on the kimono wedding dress.

Another fresh take on the kimono wedding gown.

See more on Bibi Bridal's website.

Fun, flirty and girly wedding dresses from The Treat Dressing

2011-03-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Treat Dressing is a Japanese wedding boutique that carries brands by popular bridal fashion designers Reem Acra, Vera Wang, and Ramona Keveza (among others) as well their own collection by in-house designers.

I took a peek at their collection and fell in love with the array of sweet, feminine and girly wedding dresses. Have a look at them below:

Flowy girly wedding dress with straps adorned with girly ribbon bows

Super-cute ruffly tiered bridal mini-dress

Strapless dress with a puffy ballroom skirt and a playful bow at the back

Off-shoulder bridal dress with an Audrey Hepburn-esque nostalgic feel.

Strapless gowns in white and champagne with flouncy layered skirts

Pretty and pink strapless wedding gown. Skirt is composed of soft chiffon layers.

Empire cut Goddess gown in pale yellow. Has a soft, shirred bodice and charming cap sleeves

Sweet and flirty 60s-style wedding dress. The waist is cinched with a ribbon belt decorated with rosettes.

Find more darling gowns at their website.

Western-Style Kimono Fabric Wedding Dresses from Setsuko Wakatsuki

2011-03-02T03:44:00.000-08:00

While we're on the topic of kimonos, I thought I'd show you the genius work of bridal fashion designer Setsuko Wakatsuki.who is known for remaking heirloom kimono fabric into modern, Western-style wedding gowns.

Kimono remakes are popular these days, which isn't at all surprising since the garment plays a huge role in Japan's history and it's only natural that young women don't entirely want to let go of their cultural heritage while embracing the contemporary style of dressing. When it comes to modern Kimono dresses, Setsuko Wakatsuki's designs come to mind because she beautifully infuses traditional kimono elements into her Western-style gowns - be it through the use of kimono fabric or through incorporating traditional kimono-style stitching and folding techniques into her work - resulting in a wonderful marriage of East and West.

Below are photos of her work so you can see what I mean:

Modern kimono gowns featuring a mix of contemporary and traditional elements: note the obi sash knot on the first gown and the flared kimono style sleeves on the gown on the right.

Western-style wedding dresses (and a mother of the bride dress) with kimono-inspired details.

More takes on the modern kimono wedding dress.

Soft flowy bridal gown constructed out of kimono fabric with chiffon overlay (right) and a kimono fabric serpentina-cut bridesmaid gown

Modern bridal gown made from kimono fabric with obi knot and train at the back (left). Kimono fabric gown with chiffon overlay (right)

See more of Setsuko Wakatsuki's designs on her website.

Aliansa's Modern Kimono Fabric Wedding Dresses

2011-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Japanese bridal fashion designer Eiko owns and runs Aliansa, a wedding dress boutique that specializes in contemporary Kimono wedding gowns. According to the website, they have been in business for more than 20 years. The dresses are cut modern wedding gowns in the Western style (as opposed to the traditional kimono style) except that rich and luxurious kimono fabric is used for adornment or as the gown's fabric itself. What could be more special and unique than that?

Here are some photos from Aliansa's breathtaking modern Kimono Japanese wedding gown collection:

Strapless gown adorned with pastel colored kimono fabric trim with a lucky crane pattern.

Strapless gown of black and red kimono fabric with a plum design in a mermaid silhouette

A-line one-shoulder gown in chic navy and gold. The fabric is the same as the one worn by Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai"

A-line gown in gauze fabric with removable hand-embroidered pink kimono fabric belt.

Strapless light blue gown with kimono fabric accents that gathers in a bow at the back

More of Aliansa's modern Japanese kimono dresses can be seen at their website.

Jun Ashida's modern and sophisticated wedding gown collection 2011

2011-03-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

Jun Ashida, born in 1930, is a well-known and multi-awarded Japanese fashion designer. Mr. Ashida has designed uniforms for the Japanese team for the Hiroshima Asian Games and Atlanta Olympic Games, and is nationally recognized because of his work for the Royal family in the 1960s and 1970s. He also designed dresses for Crown Princess Masako, worn during the time of her wedding in 1993.

As I was browsing through the Spring 2011 issue of 25 Ans wedding magazine, an editorial featuring a Jun Ashida gown caught my eye. Here's a portion of the page showing the detail of the beautiful gown. The gown is strapless and tiered with the tiers trimmed with lace:

Trawling through the internet, I found the same gown along with other designs from his 2011 Spring Collection. Check out my favorites below:

Aren't they pretty? See more in his website.

Colored Bridal Gowns from Japan atelier Juno Weddings

2011-03-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

Speaking of colored wedding dresses, I found some gorgeous gowns by Juno, a Japanese wedding boutique that specializes in bridal gowns, tuxedos, kimonos and accessories that I wanted to share with you.

It's interesting to note that Juno was first established in 1895 as Fuchigami Fines, a Kimono retailer in Fukuoka named after its founder Kusaburo Fuchigami. The wedding line was re-named Juno when the flagship store opened in 1994, 99 years since the company's birth
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Their colored wedding gowns come in sophisticated modern silhouettes, from rich, delicious jewel tones to pretty pastels. Here are my picks from their collection:
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Apple Green Strapless Wedding Gown with Lace Trim

Sunrise / Gold Strapless Wedding Gown

Wine Colored Strapless Wedding Dress with Rosettes

Jade Green Strapless Bridal Gown with Ruffled Layers

Chocolate Brown Origami Strapless Wedding Dress

Pink and Black Lace Strapless Wedding Gown

Romantic Lilac Wedding Gown with Chiffon and Lace Overlay

Copper / Metallic Wedding Gown with Strapless Brocade Bodice

Indigo Blue Princess Line Gown with a Feathered Strapless Bodice

Strapless Princess-line Wedding Gown with Ruffled Rosettes in hues of Purple

See more of Juno Wedding's Colored Wedding Gowns on their website
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Frothy Princess-Line Colored Wedding Dresses from Watabe Wedding

2011-03-01T03:35:00.000-08:00

While browsing Japanese wedding websites, I noticed a trend towards wearing colored wedding gowns. A wedding is about personalization after all so if you're an alternative or non-traditional bride, you might want to check out these gorgeous colored bridal gowns from Japanese wedding boutique Watabe Wedding.

These colored Princess-line wedding gowns are chock-full of fun, flirty and romantic details such as frothy layers of ruffles, ribbons, rosettes and lace trim. See my picks from their collection below.

Raise

Angela

Helene

Poetta

Jurina

Rochas

Marion Blue

See more colored wedding dresses for your 2011 wedding at Watabe Wedding.

Takami Bridal's Royal Wedding Collection

2011-03-01T01:19:00.000-08:00

Takami Bridal has been in the bridal gown business in its native Japan since 1923 (although the formal establishment was in 1952), making them one of the pillars in Japan's wedding industry. They specialize in wedding gown retail and rental and they also operate a bridal school, a cafe, and a restaurant. They can provide a bridal chapel and guesthouse for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

The 2010 / 2011 Takami Bridal Royal Wedding Collection features princess silhouettes and luxurious romantic details that will make any bride feel like royalty. Some of my favorite gowns from said collection:

Reticella

a la Rose

Maline

Blonde

Bruges

See the rest of the Royal Wedding Collection by Takami Bridal.

Yumi Katsura's 2011 Bridal Collection

2011-02-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

Yumi Katsura is an internationally well-known Japanese designer of ready-to-wear and haute couture bridal gowns and is definitely in the mix when it comes to modern Japanese weddings. According to her blog and AllKPop, her 2011 collection is said to have been influenced by K-Pop music artists B2ST, 4minute, and Supernova’s visual styles and performances so she personally designed outfits suited to their image.

Here are photos of her gowns from the Tokyo Grand Collection 2011, launched in February 23. The dresses in the collection feature her signature intricate lacework, origami folds, whimsical applique work, and exquisite beading.

Short wedding dresses from Katsura Yumi's 2011 Tokyo Collection (photo via Sanspo)

See more of Yumi Katsura's 2011 Wedding Dress Collection in the Paris 2011 GRAND COLLECTION IN TOKYO RENAISSANCE JAPAN official website.

Hatsuko Endo Modern Japanese Wedding Gown Collection

2011-02-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

Hatsuko Endo is a pioneer in Japan's wedding industry, having opened the first ever bridal "grooming parlor" in 1905 in Ginza, Tokyo Japan. Before she opened one, the only makeup Japanese women used was a white rice powder infused with lead like those used by geisha. Later on her boutique also started carrying kimonos for traditional weddings. Nowadays, the Hatsuko Endo brand is synonymous with Japanese weddings, both modern and traditional.

Some gowns from the Hatsuko Endo Weddings Collection:

Mariage for Hatsuko Endo Weddings

Hatsuko Endo Weddings

Import Collection for Hatsuko Endo Weddings

Visit the Hatsuko Endo Weddings website for more.