Designers Jane Aiko Yamano and Yamano Gakuen to Show Kimono Collection

Renowned kimono designers Jane Aiko Yamano and Yamano Gakuen will present an array of colorful kimonos as part of the Cherry Blossom Gala celebrating Anaheim University's tribute to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa on March 23, 2009 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The kimono is a formal dress in traditional Japanese culture and is worn to communicate societal messages such as marital status, age and occasion. Throughout history the kimono has been worn by children and adults as an intregal part of the traditional ceremonies that celebrate passage into new life stages, but today, the kimono is less common among Japanese women.

"Few women know how to wear the kimono," says Jane Aiko Yamano. "Usually it's an heirloom passed down by mother to daughter, but today the daughter waits in vain because the mother herself does not own one."

Yamano became interested in various world cultures as a child growing up in United States, and she became especially interested in the Japanese cultural tradition of the kimono after she moved to Japan at age 12. She continued to learn much about beauty through her grandmother, Aiko Yamano, founder of the billion-dollar Yamano Beauty conglomerate. Today Yamano shares her enthusiasm for these intricate works of art by presenting kimono fashion shows throughout the world.