European pattern-making and tailoring, refined in Himeji since 1966, meet the couture skills that designer Rieko Kitahara acquired in Paris. Drawing out the full beauty of silk kimono — its patterns, weaves, colours and lustre — each piece is carefully tailored by a single artisan, from design to finish.
To us, kimono is a Japanese textile that stands alongside the finest fabrics of Europe. We set aside, for a moment, that it was once a kimono, and meet it simply as a textile. Then, with the pattern-making and tailoring skills that have shaped Europe's finest fabrics for sixty years, we tailor it into true couture.
The European art of pattern-making, creating silhouettes that follow the body beautifully.
Tailoring skills honed at our Himeji salon since 1966, finishing each piece with care.
We have worked with Europe's finest fabrics — from Sophie Hallette, the renowned French lace house, and Jakob Schlaepfer of Switzerland, to Emanuel Ungaro and Gandini, the distinguished French house whose fabrics can no longer be found. Our representative, Izumi Taniguchi, still travels to Europe herself to select fabrics. With that same eye, we study each kimono fabric and discern its character.
We assess its pattern, colour and weave to choose a kimono worthy of the piece.
Stitch by stitch, we unpick the kimono and return it to a single length of fabric.
Reading the placement and flow of the pattern, we draw the form in which the fabric looks its most beautiful.
With European pattern-making and tailoring, a single artisan tailors each piece, one at a time.
From one kimono, we tailor one piece. Because the same fabric can never be found again, no piece can ever be made twice.
Prices upon request. Many more pieces can be seen at our salon.
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Japanese kimono and European fabrics. The sensibility our designer cultivated in Paris unites the two cultures in a single garment.
Delicate French lace — Sophie Hallette among them — pairs exceptionally well with kimono. Enjoy combinations unique to Maison Brijean, such as lace on the collar or bodice.
Choose your favourite from our finished jackets, coats and capes.
If the size does not fit, or you would prefer a different pattern, we tailor the same design to your measurements, in a kimono of similar character that you choose.
Based on a design from the collection, we combine kimono with European fabrics such as French lace — adding lace to the collar or bodice, for example — to create a piece that is yours alone.
Dresses, or pieces that change the shape of the design itself, require precise adjustment to the body, so a toile fitting is held in addition to measurements. Please contact us to discuss the schedule and other details.
Holding a piece in your hands and trying it on reveals the beauty of kimono all the more.
The best place to take your time with the collection is our salon, a 5-minute walk from JR Himeji Station and 10 minutes from Himeji Castle. Fittings and measurements can be done on the spot. Please book before your visit.
Book a visitEven outside Himeji, joining one of our experiences gives you the chance to see the collection in person.
About the experiencesWe can also bring the collection to you, for example where you are staying. Please ask us.
InquireFeel free to contact us even before you travel to Japan. We can introduce the collection in an online consultation.
We deliver worldwide.