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Custom Wedding Dress & Kimono Upcycled Clothes | オーダーメイドウェディングドレス&着物ドレス

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/ Archives for Chie

Chie

DIY Distressed Denim from Thrifted Jeans

September 9, 2014 By Chie

DIY Distressed Boyfriend Denim by Vivat Veritas

I’ve only owned one pair of jeans until today, and I am happy to announce that I added another, much more comfortable pair! I’ve never been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I find flowy dresses far more comfortable than skinny jeans. But after watching this DIY video, I became obsessed with the thought of  distressing jeans. Somehow, the thought of plucking threads with tweezers to make the denim distressed seemed so soothing.. in reality, however it hurt my hands.

I picked up these mom jeans from 390 mart (サンキューマート) in Harajyuku. Everything in the store is 390 yen, which is about 4 USD. Here are the before and after pictures – The jeans in before picture were comfortable, but very momsy!
Before and After of DIY Distressed Denim by Vivat VeritasDIY Distressed Boyfriend Denim Process1

Here is how I turned the mom jeans in to distressed boyfriend jeans. First cut the hem. I marked the line with a pen right above my ankles. I wanted the cuffed look and I wasn’t going to hem it. If you are planning on hemming, cut an inch longer.  DIY Distressed Boyfriend Denim Process2

Then I flipped the jeans inside out, took in 5 cm from each sides to make the jeans tapered look. I figured it would be easier to roll up the hem with tapered look than straight cut. I sewed the sides and serged them.

After this, to make a distressed look, I cut two lines in parallel on knees and pull the vertical threads (blue ones) with tweezers. I was pulling the threads so vigorously I forgot to take pictures!  This was a bit time consuming and creates a mess. It took me about an hour to finish both knees. I placed one a bit higher. Once this is done, turn the jeans inside out and wash them with cold water to make the hems and distressed parts look more frayed.DIY Distressed Boyfriend Denim2 by Vivat Veritas DIY leather choker by vivat veritas

Andy said he liked this look, which took me by a surprise! While we were shopping at 390 mart, I told him my plan of making the jeans “boyfriend jeans”. He pretended that he understood what I was talking about, but I later found out he had no idea what I meant by “boyfriend jeans”!
Pink Dress Kiko

Kiko always wants to join me in the photo taking sessions…
Temporary Tatto by Vivat VeritasThe day we went to Harajuku happened to be the day of Fashion’s Night Out by Japan Vougue. So at Monki, they were giving away fake tatoos. Kiko got a lip mark on her arm and I got a wrist tattoo.

原宿竹下通りにある390マートで買ったバギージーンズ(死語?)をリメイクして、ボーイフレンドジーンズにしてみました。
やっぱり自分のために洋服作ったりリメイクするのは楽しい!

最近自分の洋服づくりの時間が取れてなかったので、新しい仲間がワードローブに加わってうれしいです。

chie sig2{find me elsewhere: shop, facebook, etsy, twitter, pinterest, instagram}

 

Filed Under: blog, blogs, creation, DIY, 日本語 Tagged With: 390マート, boyfriend denim, denim, diy, jeans, thrifted, リメイク, 原宿

New Logo!

August 25, 2014 By Chie

vivat veritas new logo

I’m thrilled that I was finally able to update Vivat Veritas logo. I designed the last one just using clip art I purchased from etsy. I am not good at graphic design so I was not happy with the design, but kept pushing off the logo redesign. Honestly, I did not know what I wanted as my logo. I wanted cute, classy, fun, colorful, simple, black and white, and feminine all at the same time.

The last four months, I was with a volunteer group of business consultants who helped me focus the direction of the business and write a better business plan. I want to write about the experience in some other posts in the future, but this was tremendously helpful for me. Having someone other than my husband to give me honest advice was great! After four months, I had a better understanding of what I wanted my “brand” to look like, so for instance, I can design what logo I wanted.

I was happy to have bumped into Silvia Wren Designs on etsy and she designed the new logo in no time. I ordered this premade logo. I love the simplicity yet it leaves you with a feminine feel with the cursive font. There is no way that I would have been able to design it on my own..I have to learn to designate work in a more effective way.

These photos are from the shoot I styled back in April with my favorite model Elissa (she modeled this and this in the past) and her friend, Karen. The shoot was fun and the studio called unikk in Shibuya was a full of antique treasure. All the antique trinkets and furniture you see are for sale at unikk.

Photo credits// Photographer: Nishihara, Model: Elissa and Karen, Make up artist: Ayumi Hanaki, and styled by me. 
vivat veritas new logo2vivat veritas new logo3

Silvia Wren Designsというオンラインショップで、新しいロゴをデザインしてもらいました♪
利用したのは、premade logoという、既に出来上がっているデザインを、自分の会社名でカスタマイズしてもらうパッケージ。
今までは自分で適当にデザインというか、クリップアートをつなぎ合わせて作ったロゴだったので、ちゃんとプロの方に格安でデザインしていただけて、うれしいです。

chie sig2{find me elsewhere: shop, facebook, etsy, twitter, pinterest, instagram}

Filed Under: blog, blogs, shop update, 日本語 Tagged With: etsy, graphic design, logo, silvia wren designs

Video// Shinjyuku Okadaya & Online Shopping

August 24, 2014 By Chie

I went to Shinjyuku Okadaya for fabric shopping yesterday! I avoided going there for a while since Shinjyuku is so crowded all the time, and the summer heat has been unbearable. In this video, I’m showing you what I got – mostly wedding dress related sewing material, including veil, tulle, bonnet, sparkly sash belt etc.

Shinjyuku Okadaya //オカダヤ
Kyoto Lace Shop Matsumura Shoten //京都のレース屋 松村商店

In the video, I’m wearing the tank dress I made myself. I also made the pendant myself from the charm I found in my mom’s closet and the leather strap from a craft shop.

Hope you’ll like the video! Comment down below to let me know if you have any questions or requests:)
質問、コメント等ありましたら下記にどうぞ★

Check out my last video “Vivat Veritas Spring 2014 Bridal Lookbook Shoot Behind the Scenes (ウェディングカタログの写真撮影風景)”

Music:
Seiho-Wet Asphalt
Someone_To_Call_My_Lover(SeihoRemix)

Subscribe to vv YouTube channel♡

chie sig2

{find me elsewhere: shop, facebook, etsy, twitter, pinterest, instagram}

Filed Under: blog, blogs, bridal, creation, shopping, video, 日本語 Tagged With: diy, handmade, okadaya, tokyo fabric shopping, オカダヤ, ハンドメイド, 京都のレース屋, 洋裁

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My name is Chie. I design and make custom wedding dresses in Tokyo, Japan. Read More…

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生地をよく見ると、お姫様が👸 金彩の御所車、菊、そしてひっそりと佇む姫。 裾に宿ったまま、また別 生地をよく見ると、お姫様が👸

金彩の御所車、菊、そしてひっそりと佇む姫。 
裾に宿ったまま、また別の人生を歩みだしました♡

Released. Reimagined. — Helen Castillo @designerhelen x Vivat Veritas 

Look closely at the fabric — there’s a princess👸

A gilded royal carriage, chrysanthemums, and a maiden standing quietly in the shadows. Still living in the hem, she steps into another life♡

Model
@_kasumi.y

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88 

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

Nails
@ms_muse_nail

#着物リメイク #御所解 #KimonoRemake #TokyoFashion #ReleasedReimagined
@allpress_espresso のコーヒーバッグで作りました☕️ Cafés do Bras @allpress_espresso のコーヒーバッグで作りました☕️

Cafés do Brasil 豆を運んでいた頃の文字が、そのままジャケットの背中に残っています。
着物だけでなく、面白い来歴のある生地をもっと取り入れていきたいと思っています✂️
素材:コーヒーバッグ × 着物シルク

Made from a coffee sack sourced from @allpress_espresso.

Cafés do Brasil — the stamp from its days carrying beans stays right there on the back. 

Kimono fabric has always been at the heart of what I do, but I want to bring in more materials with a history — things that have traveled, carried weight, meant something before they became a garment.

Materials: coffee sack × kimono silk

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88 

Model
@emorylove33

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#upcycledfashion #sustainablestyle #coffeesack #wearablestories #ReleasedReimagined
蝶は、繭の中でひとりで変わるわけじゃない。 縫う人がいて、形が生まれる。 描く人がいて、顔に光が宿 蝶は、繭の中でひとりで変わるわけじゃない。

縫う人がいて、形が生まれる。
描く人がいて、顔に光が宿る。
飾る人がいて、耳元に物語が揺れる。

そのひとつひとつが重なって、
一着の服がランウェイで羽を広げます🦋

今回のショーに関わってくださったすべての方へ💌
ありがとうございました。皆様の手が、この服を完成させてくれました。

A butterfly doesn’t transform alone.

Someone sews, and a shape is born.
Someone paints, and light finds a face.
Someone adorns, and a story stirs beside the ear.

Each gesture layered upon the next —
until one garment spreads its wings on the runway🦋

To everyone who was part of this show 💌
Thank you.🥹Your hands brought this to life.

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88

Model
@yui78_02

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#ReleasedReimagined #kimono #着物リメイク #sustainablefashion #runway
Before the doors opened, there was this. Garments Before the doors opened, there was this.

Garments waiting on the rack. Brushes in hand. Quiet conversations in corners. The unhurried moment before everything becomes a show.

""Released. Reimagined."" with @designerhelen was made possible by so many generous hands — our makeup and hair team, our models, every person who showed up early and stayed late. Thank you for caring for these pieces, and for each other, the way you did.

More to come🤍

扉が開く前の、静かな時間。

ハンガーに並ぶ作品たち。メイクブラシの音。片隅でかわされる小さな会話。 すべてがショーになる前の、穏やかな瞬間。

@designerhelen との“Released. Reimagined."" は、たくさんの方々の手によって生まれました。 メイク・ヘアチームのみなさん、モデルのみなさん、早くから駆けつけて最後まで残ってくれたすべての方へ。 本当にありがとうございました。
次回も頑張ります🤍

Photographer 

Models
@emorylove33
@naka_kanar
@bethenny.x
@izumi_nishida
@yui78_02
@aino.yamada03
@_kasumi.y
@sienna.christinaaa

Nails
@ms_muse_nail

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#releasedreimagined #KimonoUpcycling #BehindTheScenes #SustainableFashion #着物リメイク
Behind the Scenes🪡 →The Runway ✨ カオスに包まれたアトリエから、ラ Behind the Scenes🪡 →The Runway ✨

カオスに包まれたアトリエから、ランウェイへ。

1つのコレクションが形になるまで、床が見えなくなるほどの生地、型紙、そして数え切れないほどの試行錯誤の時間が詰まっています。

命を吹き込んでくれた素晴らしいモデルの皆さん、そして支えてくださったスタッフの皆さんに心から感謝💝

あなたのお気に入りのルックはどれですか?ぜひコメントで教えてください👇❤️

From a chaotic atelier to the runway.

Before a collection comes to life, there are floors buried under fabric, pattern pieces, and countless hours of trial and error.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible models who breathed life into each look, and to every member of the team who made it all possible 💝

Which look was your favorite? Let me know in the comments 👇❤️

#ファッションショー #ランウェイ #バックステージ #fashiondesigner #runway
Something I've been building since 2008 — taking k Something I've been building since 2008 — taking kimono fabric, fabric that already holds someone's memory, and giving it a new life.

Last Saturday, I got to share that with someone very special.

@designerhelen is a designer from New York who first reached out to me through my little sewing lesson account. When we started talking, I realized we were asking the exact same question: how do you take something with a past, and carry it forward?

We met in person here in Tokyo last December. That conversation became Released. Reimagined.
Two designers. Two cities. One shared belief — that beautiful things deserve a second life.

None of this would have been possible without our incredible team:

👗 Models: @emorylove33 @naka_kanar @bethenny.x @izumi_nishida @yui78_02 @aino.yamada03 @_kasumi.y @sienna.christinaaa

💅 Nails: @ms_muse_nail — gorgeous handmade nail designs 
💍 Jewelry: @viviange — pieces specially designed to coordinate with each piece
✂️ Hair: @angh0 @sho_kanaida @iam__little__boy — next level editorial 
💄 Makeup: @glam_by_jyoti — 8 models, flawlessly done 
📸 Photography: @nothing_special_88 — can't wait for you all to see his shots 
🎯 Model Coordinator: @naka_kanar — styling schedules, rehearsals, walkthrough, everything

Thank you to everyone who came🤍

Photos by @robertorivera.mx

2008年から、ずっと作り続けてきたもの——誰かの記憶を宿した着物の生地を手にとり、新しい命を吹き込むこと。

先週の土曜日、その想いをとても大切な人と一緒に分かち合うことができました。

@designerhelen はニューヨークを拠点とするデザイナー。最初に連絡をくれたのは、私の小さなお裁縫レッスンのアカウントを通じてでした。話し始めてすぐに、私たちは同じ問いを抱えていると。過去を持つものを、どうやって未来へ連れていくか。

昨年12月、東京で初めて直接会いました。その会話が、このショーになりました。

Released. Reimagined. ふたりのデザイナー。ふたつの都市。ひとつの共通した信念——美しいものには、もう一度輝く機会がある✨

#releasedreimangined #tokyofashionshow #harajuku #japanfashionshow projectrunwa
この会場を見つけるまで、けっこう歩き回りました。原宿竹下口から少し路地に入ったところ。前面ガラス張り この会場を見つけるまで、けっこう歩き回りました。原宿竹下口から少し路地に入ったところ。前面ガラス張りで光がたっぷり入って、一目見て「ここだ」と思いました🌱

入口すぐの受付エリアには @brownie_shots のポップアップ、中央スペースはランウェイ会場になります。VIP席も準備中です✨

イベントまであと1週間を切りました。当日、いいお天気になりますように☀️

It took quite a bit of wandering to find this venue. Tucked just off a quiet side street from Harajuku’s Takeshita Exit — full glass frontage, light pouring in. The moment I stepped inside, I knew🌱

Right at the entrance, @brownie_shots will be running a pop-up☕︎ The central space becomes our runway. VIP seating going in now.

Less than one week to go. Fingers crossed for sunshine ☀️

#Harajuku #FashionShow #KimonoUpcycling #SustainableFashion #TokyoEvents
【VIP限定✨】 5/30のファッションショー、席付きVIPチケットをご予約いただいた方は、こちらの 【VIP限定✨】
5/30のファッションショー、席付きVIPチケットをご予約いただいた方は、こちらの帯をリメイクしたオリジナルポーチをプレゼント🎁 

意外とたくさん入ると大好評。
鍵、カードケース、スマホ、メイクポーチまでしっかり収納できる優秀サイズです。

パーティーにクラッチとして、ループにストラップを付ければショルダーにもなる✨

どの柄が届くかは当日までのお楽しみ🤫💕

🗓 2026.05.30 (Sat)
📍 Harajuku, Tokyo
Runway Event & Pop-up Store
詳細はプロフィールリンクをチェック🔗

【VIP Exclusive ✨】
A little sneak peek at the special gift for our VIP ticket holders🎁

For the May 30th fashion show, all VIP guests will receive this original pouch made from upcycled Kimono Obi.

It’s surprisingly spacious! It easily fits your keys, card case, phone, and even a makeup pouch. Wear it as a chic clutch for the party, or attach your own strap to the loops to transform it into a shoulder bag✨

Each one is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece. Which design will you get? It’s a surprise until the big day! 🤫💕

#帯リメイク #サステナブルファッション #ファッションショー #原宿イベント #着物リメイク 
ファッションイベント HelenCastillo
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