The first day of Spring 2023 has come and gone and hope springs eternal here at House of the Broken Dragon. And except for the cancer that is rampant climate change, Mother Earth continues to share her annual rebirth; welcoming all living creatures, great and small.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit and it has been predicted to be a year of hope. In addition to good luck, it is said that rabbits, especially those with white fur, symbolize elegance, beauty, and mercy.
All this symbolic bunny talk had me thinking about our most recent photoshoot which was truly magical. And although the original concept involved wrangling a dozen white kittens; as luck would have it, we graciously borrowed two albino lionhead bunnies, instead! We loved, we laughed, we snuggled buns and all was good in the world that day. Their gentle demeanor, stark white coat, and powerful symbolism ended up being the perfect accessory to one of our finest pieces to date; the Patchwork Kimono Jacket, shown below.
Patchwork or "piecing" is a sewing technique that involves cutting, placing, and sewing existing pieces of fabric together to make a larger design. Patchwork dates back to the Egyptians, over 5,000 years ago, as evidenced in funeral cloths found in higher-ranking tombs.
Now in our tenth year, House of the Broken Dragon has held on to every precious scrap of fabric we have used over the past decade -- and waited -- until inspiration took the wheel. Of course like any art project, it was never a matter of if; only a matter of when.
Methodically and painstakingly pieced together by hand like a giant fabric puzzle -- over many long weekends -- this one-of-a-kind Patchwork Kimono Jacket combines over a dozen of our finest luxury cotton kimono remnants.
For added warmth and beauty, the Patchwork Kimono Jacket has been fully lined. Generously sized as a medium-to-large fit; this jacket was designed to be worn open with no belt.
Both classic and sophisticated, the Patchwork Kimono Jacket will never go out of style. It is a literal piece of wearable art.
Fun Fact: Chinese patchwork was first introduced about 1,500 years ago as a ceremonial garment referred to in English as “one hundred families robes.” The robes were gifted to sons celebrating milestone birthdays. The garment was pieced together from fabrics donated by local well-wishers, AKA the "hundred families.” The patchwork was said to symbolize the combined strength of the donors and was believed to help deflect evil spirits.
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