Okaasan Geiko Kikuyu
For May Okaasan Geiko Kikuyu has decided that she will wear light purple beautiful susohiki with geometrical pattern. As i said before, its a rare sight to see a geiko wearing susohiki with this type of pattern, but it happens from time to time, for example yabane(arrow shaft/arrow feathers), multi flowers and stripes or little snowflakes. This susohiki reminds us of wisteria that is now in full bloom.
This marvelous susohiki is accompanied by silver obi with small flowers of purple and orange. Material is best silk with woven flower patterns.
Geiko Kikuyu's juban(or thin kimono that is worn under the susohiki) is pink with spring flowers painted on it. Only Geiko san can wear it - maiko san have to use red colored ones.
For this month maiko Kikutsuru has
chosen soft pink hikizuri with hand-painted motif. Textile is exquisite silk and has soft and comfortable touch. This hikizuri has flower of wisteria hand-painted on it.
The darari obi is longer than the one worn by Geiko Kikuyu; it is also tied in a special knot, worn only by maiko. It has dyed wisteria flower pattern on a black background and it suits the hikizuri well.
Her hairstyle is called ofuku(as you remember it is hairstyle of Sr Maiko) and is decorated with senior maiko kanzashi featuring iris flower; this is seasonal and is worn only during this month.
Senior Maiko Kikumaru
For May Kikumaru san is wearing fabulous sweet pink hikizuri with hand-painted flowers and string knots motifs. It is linned and can be worn before summer heat comes.
Her obi is decorated with wisteria flower pattern on pure white background. End of the obi has okiya mon or emblem(as every family in japan, all okiya and yakata in have their own emblems too) which means she comes from this family - Hanafusa okiya.
Her hairstyle is same as Kikuturu san's as they both are senior maikos and is decorated with seasonal iris flower kanzashi.
Junior Maiko Kikune
NOTE! Starting from June Maiko Kikune will be ichiname(second year maiko) - she will cut the shidare from her kanzashi and from than on she will be painting her upper lip.
Omedetou san dosu Kikune san!
Beautiful Kikune san is wearing very colorful green hikizuri with hand-painted flowers and butterflies - a true springtime flower.
Her lovely darari obi is purple with beautiful woven butterfly pattern.
Maiko Kikune's hairstyle is called Wareshinobu and is decorated with shidare kanzashi, composed by long chains of silk flowers. This month her kanzashi represent the trailing blossoms of wisteria that is in bloom now.
Junior Maiko Kikushino
Jr Maiko Kikushino is wearing light purple color hikizuri with painted shells (hand-painted by talented kimono artist). These are not just simple clam shells from the beach, but special painted ones for the ancient heian court game called Kaioke or hokkai and is played with 360 double-valved shells (kai), half of the shells enclosed a poem, the other half a drawing which corresponded to it; the shells were distributed one by one and the goal was to match the poem with the drawing; whoever was left with an ‘orphan’ lost the game.
Her darari obi is golden with beautiful wisteria flowers pattern. Fact! Maiko's Darari obi is 7 meters long and needs to be tied specially.
Junior Maiko Kikuyae
The youngest maiko in the Hanafusa okiya, Maiko Kikuyae, is wearing wearing springtime hikizuri with sakura pettals and flowers hand-painted on the subtle green backround. The material is silk.
Her eri is mostly red and is decorated with woven butterlies on the red background.
The darari obi of this young maiko has a wave pattern on the pueple background and fits well to hikizuri.
As she is still Jr Maiko, her hairtyle is Wareshinobu - same as her older sisters. The hairstyle is crowned with wisteria blossom kanzashi. She is so cute ^-^
