Masayo's Stories

I don’t really have any memories of family holidays when I was a child. All of my family were working all the time so my sister and I used to play around the rice fields and bamboo forest near my home. Now I have my own family, I am more conscious about spending time together as a family. This year, we decided to spend time together in Bali.  Although with my teen kids, they often go to their own room after a few days of spending together as a family.Some elements of Bali reminds me of old Japan about 30-40 years...

In Japan, the colour red has several special meanings.It represents strength and happiness, passion and love - but also, self sacrifice and blood..   There are so many types of red we use in Japan. Each red indicates a different history and meanings. To me the colour vermilion is the true Japanese red.The red, which has a slight orange tone to it was traditionally created from the Safflower.     We use this particular red in many temples, shrine gates and as talismans to protect from harm.Red is a mysterious colour to me.Especially kimono in red.

About 1800 years ago in Japan, there was a female queen named HIMIKO.Her story is shrouded in mystery and controversy throughout the entire Asian region. Bound to 3 different families, her last name was Yamatototohimomosohime-no-Mikoto, and she was the first female queen who ruled Japan (having 1000 female servants and 1 male.) HIMIKO was believed to be a shamaness queen who interacted with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness.   People used to strongly connect with their ancestors and wished for a better harvest for the year. They offered part of their harvest to the country at that time...

Last weekend we went to North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah for our family holiday. These days whenever we can, I try to plan a family holiday.My son has now finished playing soccer and he is no longer playing every weekend. My daughter is in her gap year and hopefully going back to uni next year. So often there are weekends when we can spend time together with my children as a family.Although as much as I want to spend time with them, they don't really want to spend time with me. They rather spend their time with their friends. Recently I started to have more and...

I have been collecting kimonos and Japanese antiques for many years.  When I feel those old pieces of Japan, it takes me to the old days before I was born, yet I feel like I was there in the past at some time. Less and less people wear kimonos in Japan these days. It is not easy to wear a kimono nor easy to move in.  Each panel is carefully hand stitched to create kimonos.  It shows the slow living of the old days. Everyday bathing was for rich people. Most people used to bathe once a week. Before dry cleaning was introduced,...

In the last few months, my dogstar team has been working very hard to get our Spring/Summer collection ready for New York. This is the final week for the completion and it has been a big challenge for all of us to meet the deadline. Not only that, we have been also working on a uniform for the Queensland Youth Orchestra for their upcoming European tour while collaborating with Queensland's first nation artist Delvene Cockatoo Collins. Sometimes all deadlines come at once and we just have to deal with it.This season we have done our collection differently to any of...

"I was here once before. My very being resonates with the pulse of existence within these walls, though the tapestry of recollections has faded from the canvas of my mind. How distant those epochs seem, as fragments of memories weave an ephemeral dance through my essence, caressed by the timeworn embrace of this edifice.  A query lingers on the edge of my lips, yet solitude is my sole companion in this sacred space.Beside the window, adorned with the patina of age, I stand, an ode to a time when laughter and love brushed against the contours of these walls. The echo of...

It’s the third anniversary since my Grandma passed away 2 years ago.In Buddhism, the year when someone passes away is counted as 1 year.September also has equinoctial week (Ohegan - when we welcome our ancestors to come back to our would and celebrate together).We believe that around 20th September, our world and their world are the closest in distance. We reconnect.We normally put a lantern in front of our house to make sure that their spirits come back to us safely. I just found that my wisteria was blossoming this morning. I remember full blossom wisteria were everywhere in my...

My hometown was and still is surrounded by rice fields that seem to go on forever. When spring comes, all of a sudden our neighbours and workmen from our village gather together and start working in the field.    They wear their own Rice Field uniforms and wrap with old aprons. All different types of check and stripes were mixed together and the crosshatch collection of fields became very lively. As soon as I see stripes and check it reminds me of my hometown. My sister and I used to watch and enjoy the smell of fresh and burned grass.   When summer comes the rice...

The way of expressing my Japanese culture is to mix structure and softness in textures. I don't really think about it much but it must have always been in my subconscious.  In Japan, most girl's school uniform skirts were pleated when I was young.I loathed the pleated skirt at that time and we thought it was cool to make the skirt longer. (I got in trouble by my teacher for doing it)    Now I like pleated skirts.The asymmetrical cut in my designs must be coming from Kimono layering. Even though the Kimono itself is symmetrical, the layering cloth often shows a slight unbalance in my eye. It can...

My 18 year old daughter graduated high school last year.She is taking a 6 month gap year at the moment and is due to go to university to study Industrial Design at QUT.It sounded all good and my daughter has been chilling at home every day and having a good time.No rush to go to school any more .. No need for her to iron her school uniform nor making her lunch..(Although most of the time I used to make her lunch..) Sleeping until lunch time. So I don't necessarily see her during the weekdays.Are your teen children the same?...