North Canterbury News: August 31, 2023
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Kimonos new life<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
NEWS<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>31</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
15<br />
Aclothes designer is giving new life to<br />
exquisite fabrics from vintage Japanese<br />
kimonos at aRangiora exhibition.<br />
Ashburton’s Nana Sakaguchi was born<br />
in Japan, but moved to New Zealand in<br />
2008.<br />
At that time she began making her own<br />
clothes using Japanese patterns, and a<br />
secondhand sewing machine, because<br />
she missed the Japanese style of fashion.<br />
Now she is designing and creating her<br />
own clothing collection for her business<br />
Hena Hena, and is having the first<br />
exhibition of her work, Reviving Kimono<br />
To Flourish, in the Chamber Gallery in<br />
the Rangiora Library.<br />
She now has her own sewing room<br />
with two industrial sewing machines and<br />
the simple, stylish clothes she designs,<br />
which allow the fabric to be the star, are<br />
in big demand.<br />
‘‘The material is already the work of<br />
art so Itry not to disturb it by keeping my<br />
designs simple,’’ she says.<br />
Nana handpicks the kimonos she<br />
wants to repurpose from a‘‘preloved<br />
kimono store’’ in Kyoto, the city where<br />
she was born and raised.<br />
She imports the kimonos to New<br />
Zealand and then unpicks each garment<br />
and washes and irons the material to use<br />
it for her new creations.<br />
Recycling the kimono fabric is<br />
laborious compared to using new fabric,<br />
she says, but she believes the extra effort<br />
is worthwhile to ‘‘pass on the beauty of<br />
Japanese kimonos’’ in awearable form<br />
to future generations worldwide.<br />
Kimonos were once everyday clothing<br />
treasured by Japanese women and often<br />
passed down through generations of<br />
families, she says. But as fashion<br />
preferences have changed over the years<br />
many kimonos are now kept in storage<br />
and only used for special occasions.<br />
Kimono art ... Nana Sakaguchi, of<br />
Ashburton, the owner of Hena Hena, a<br />
business creating new clothing using fabrics<br />
taken from vintage Japanese kimonos.<br />
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP<br />
The Reviving Kimono To Flourish<br />
exhibition closes on Sunday, September<br />
24.<br />
Glass work by Waikuku artist, Eiko<br />
Kawaguchi, who was also born and<br />
raised in Japan, is also on show at the<br />
exhibition.<br />
Snapping away ... Photographers gather along the South Bay Beach to capture<br />
Friday nights sunset at the start of the 21st annual “48 Hours in Kaikoura” Photography<br />
Competition.<br />
PHOTO: ANDREWSPENCER PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Asnap shot of Kaikoura<br />
By JOHN COSGROVE<br />
Landscapers,portraitists, happy<br />
snappers and streetshooters were out in<br />
forceinKaikoura over the weekend as<br />
the 21st annual 48 HoursinKaikoura<br />
Photography Competition clicked into<br />
gear.<br />
OrganisedbyKaikoura professional<br />
photographers Andrew Spencer and<br />
Rachel Gillespie,the annual 48 Hours in<br />
Kaikoura Photography Competition<br />
attracted photographers of all levels to<br />
document the town.<br />
Originally started in 2002 by Neroli<br />
Gold,her goal was to havethosewho<br />
know and loveKaikoura best, captureits<br />
complexity, diversity and beauty on film.<br />
‘‘It was agood weekend as we spotted<br />
many photographers out and about<br />
taking photos,’’says Rachel.<br />
Andrew says they werelucky withthe<br />
weather,with awonderful sunset on<br />
Friday night, clearblue skies on<br />
Saturday and changeable conditions on<br />
Sunday.<br />
‘‘Itgave photographers lots to work<br />
withasthey capturedimagesthat<br />
fosteredthe wonderful culture and<br />
beauty of the districtfor 48 hours.’’<br />
Andrew says he enteredthe first<br />
competition all thoseyears ago and<br />
stayedontohelp out. ‘‘When Neroli<br />
retiredafter 20 yearsofrunning the<br />
event, Rachel and Itook it over’’<br />
Neroli’s wanted to get people out and<br />
about, to rediscover theirenvironment,<br />
and open their eyes to allthe natural<br />
beauty Kaikoura has to offer.<br />
Thisyear Andrew and Rachelasked<br />
participantstoenter their photographs<br />
online into five categories: portrait or<br />
people,nature/wildlife, land or<br />
seascapes, dark sky and open.<br />
‘‘Wehad aclear night so I’m very<br />
interestedtosee what the darksky<br />
entries will look like,’’ says Andrew.<br />
Whenthe final entriesare submitted<br />
online they will be judged.Thedeadline<br />
is September9.The final collection of<br />
images will be assembled into an online<br />
exhibition.<br />
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