• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.25-44
• /
• 2008

Geisha's gorgeous kimonos and grotesque make-up was the object of envy to Japanese women. There is a line in the movie like "Kimonos to the Geisha is the same as colors to the painter." Likewise, splendid patterns and colorful kimonos were an indispensible method or symbol for showing their artistic accomplishments. The purpose of this study is to investigate concept and origin of Geisha and their dress and decoration, analyze the dress of the people which appear in the movie, , arrange the expression of Geisha's dress as a movie costume, compare the difference of the dress by the career of Geisha and look back the disappearing aesthetic sense of Geisha. First, since Geisha appeared for the first time in Kyoto in 1751, it has become the world-wide representative of Japanese woman's images so that its existence oneself has become the tradition. Second, Geisha created fashion of various clothes, adornments, and hair styles as a creator of the popularity. Third, the strict regulation without exception is applied in Geisha's clothing, make-up, and motion tuned Samisen, Japanese traditional strings, and there is some difference in their hair style and dress by age of Maiko. Fourth, it is famous for unique make-up that Geisha makes up their faces, necks, and shoulders white, newly paints eyes, nose, lip line like drawing a picture in a pure white paper. Geishas put a little make-up as they have a higher position. Fifth, a heroin, Chiyo, shows clothing as a maid, an apprentice Geisha-Maiko- and a formal Geisha according to time flow. The length of kimono, textures, and hair decorations are longer, more splendid, and are more various as time goes. On the other hand, her make-up is lighter.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.57 no.5 s.114
• /
• pp.12-32
• /
• 2007

This study aims at investigating Geisha costume hidden in the history until now and how the fashion of Geisha style is expressed in accordance with character through the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Major contents of the text consist of studies including the historical background and characteristics of Geisha costume in Chapter 2, the Japanese style expressed in the movie through the analysis of the work in Chapter 3, The movie brought in an opportunity to spread the mysterious culture and art of Japan to the world, making Japanese style an important interest in the world of fashion as well. In a way to study this, the investigation was carried out through literature data, DVD and newspaper of , fashion magazine, articles from the Internet, ete. The Geisha trend has made the hot blast blown harder in such ways to affect not only fashion but also cosmetics, electronic appliance, interior, etc. In S/S 2006, it was not limited to the Japanese style but diffused to the Orientalism in China, India, Korea, etc. It can be said that this study has its significance to be a starting point in investigating the special characters of Japanese Geisha costume hidden up to now. In the studies following in the future, the formative beauty demonstrated per Japanese designer needs to be more studied. Furthermore, it seems noteworthy to analyze and compare Chosun Dynasty's Kisaeng with Japanese Geisha.