The Hidden Key

A few months back I was putting together outfits for the 2017 Anime North Kimono Fashion Show.  Our theme was "Kimono Around the World" and the show featured kitsuke representing many cultures around the world.  One of the outfits I put together included some kimono made from sari fabric, and I came up with a means of wearing them that was influenced by the way a sari is draped.

You can see the original sketch here:  kurokami-kanzashi.deviantart.c…
The kitsuke test run here:  kurokami-kanzashi.deviantart.c…
And the final outfit here:  kurokami-kanzashi.deviantart.c…

After coming up with this design, I was immediately inspired to do this drawing.  This is my OC Kuriyami.  This character always wears outfits that are meant to be a sort of fusion of the clothing of different Asian cultures, and this particular kitsuke seemed perfect for the character.  Kuriyami's kimono have "magical" sleeves, in that the character is constantly hiding things in it's sleeves, or pulling things out of them even though they appear empty.  At multiple points in the story, Kuriyami meets the challenge of a locked door by pulling an ancient key from it's sleeve and hiding it there again when no longer needed.

Media:  Technical pen and photoshop