Memoirs Of A Geisha (cont'd)

Dressing each actress with a kimono required two people and took approximately an hour. With twelve pieces to each kimono and the corset-like obi, the restriction of the kimono’s layers helped the actresses maintain their elegant, geisha movements.

The distinctive character of each lead actress informed the look of the kimonos. The softer colors of Sayuri’s kimonos were reflective of her feelings. Her life journey was often likened to the flow of a river and her affinity for water was a constant visual motif in the film. “There are water aspects in almost all of her kimonos,” said Atwood. “The best one was at the end, a transparent blue-gray with a waterfall design that flowed from the obi to the hem.” Similary, Mameha’s (Michelle Yeoh) character was elegant and gracious, embodied in the subdued colors of her kimonos. By contrast Hatsumomo (Gong Li) wore much stronger colors and patterns than a real geisha would. Even her sleeve-length defied regulations. “Hatsumomo is a fashion character,” said Atwood, “which to me means a person who doesn’t wear fashion, but creates it. She wore kimonos with a huge amount of attitude.”

The liberties taken in designing for the principal characters did not apply to the hundreds of smaller characters and background players. “It was very important to us to know what was real in the time and place we were examining,” Atwood emphasized. “I went to the archives at the Fashion Institute in Tokyo and saw great journalism from the period, images that were incredibly helpful.”

Today’s geisha represent traditional, rather than modern Japan, but there was a time when they were trend-setters in their country, and elements of their unique style still recur in Western fashion. “It is a very special and beautiful look,” said Atwood. “I think the low neckline in back will definitely be noted by the fashion world again soon.”