A Collaborative Journey of Resplendent Design Designer Yuka Uehara’s new gallery showcasing traditional Japanese artistic crafts BY CRISTINA DEPTULA
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FA S H I O N & AC CE S S O R I E S
TROORA MAGAZINE
PHOTO CREDIT RICHARD VAN
“San Francisco is an intimate, artistic, and liberal city. Every time I meet a new person I feel like I uncover a new subculture. Because of the city’s friendliness and diversity, I feel encouraged to explore and challenge myself creatively.” — Yuka Uehara, quoted in Haute Couture’s 2017 feature on new San Francisco designers.
Designer and ar tist Yuka Uehara launched Tokyo Gamine in 2015 so that she could work together with her clients to create individualized couture. Her client list includes San Francisco’s symphony, opera, and ballet as well as the Girls Chorus, and she outfitted the symphony for a production of Candide. Her designs take inspiration from nature, my thology, and psychology and are often influenced by the wearer ’s personal histor y. “I found inspiration in nature and its subtle relations within my use of color and shape. I tr y to translate its growth and decay and the soundscape of its interactions into my works. Like the natural world, I’ve been tr ying to have a more holistic approach to my ar t practice. It ’s not just about the garments; it ’s the environment , the wearer, and how all these elements interact to create a unified sensorial approach.”
Haute Couture Magazine has described Uehara as par t of ‘San Francisco’s Fashionocracy.’ She’s self-taught , crafting kimonos with traditional techniques and all of her clothing with fabrics from all around the world. A signature Uehara gown includes antique kimono panels and raw silk that she paints herself with flowers or abstract designs.
