Short Summary
Fuuga Kimono has operated as Toronto's only Kimono rental and dressing service. We supply both casual and formal Kimono for bridal parties, formal events, cultural events such as the JCCC's annual Haru Matsuri, and photoshoots in the Toronto Area. We've contributed outfits for fashion shows and have done dressing workshops and information panels locally. This is our passion and we love sharing kimono culture with people in Toronto.
We want to expand our services and offer our custom designed Yukata, Obi and accessories.
![Model posing]()
What We Need & What You Get
We need to expand our services. We would like to make a go at being a proper fashion line, and to do that, we need to produce our designs. While producing traditional Kimono is a bit much for a Canadian based company, we would like to produce the more Modern fashion based garments. Obi (The waist sash), Tabi(special split toe socks), Yukata(very easy to wear casual summerwear) as well as modern fashionable accessories for Kimono wear.
We want to start with Yukata and Obi sets.
To do this we need to pay a local seamstress a fair wage ($10.25 to
$15.00 Hourly) as we aren't a sweatshop, planning to export to China for cheaper prices. We estimate each item will take between 3 to 10 hours of actual labour, not including our own ordering, design and pattern making for the seamstress, and the time we have invested in researching the textiles and production centres. Additionally, we would like to offer at least some of this to a trained Kimono Seamstress who is currently living in Toronto at this time, if possible.
As we are producing small/limited-run items (15-20 items to start) the bulk purchasing for fabric required (300meter minimums from most overseas suppliers) is not possible. The average adult Yukata is 6-8 yards depending on size and garment quality cotton averages $8-15. Our own custom designed fabric to be printed looks like it will be aprox $18 to $20 per yard.
Additional costs of notions and proper labelling of the garment (Legal requirement in Canada!) makes this an expensive venture, but one we want to at least try to break into...
If we don't reach our goal, we will instead downsize and use more generic prints, limit ourselves to just Obis (waist sash) Juban (Kimono underwear) Tabi (proper socks) ect. which can be produced for cheaper, instead of the full outfits.
![Kimono "underwear"]()
This is a picture of a mock-up for patterning of Kimono underwear called a Juban, and it is structurally necessary to keep the proper shape. We have already completed the other patterns to be used as well.
The Impact
Certainly a niche market, we have loved every customer we've had, the process of choosing outfits with them at our studio, co-ordinating and styling them for their event. We have loved seeing them happy in the Photos they've sent us. We would love to be able to offer our own designs next time someone has a unique engagement photoshoot or fashion show planned.
![Koto players from York University Japanese Music Ensemble]()
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't spare $5 to help us expand, you can spread the word of our existence to your friends! We have a facebook page where we chat with Kimono related enthusiasts around the world, and a webpage with more information of the services we offer locally.
We also have an Etsy page with some of our accessories we've made for photoshoots and to style/accessorize our customers.
