LONGPAO KIMONO

Name: LONGPAO KIMONO
SKU: 284215376135191

A short kimono becomes a refined yet fun jacket. A triumph of Marco Polo in the East and a festive reuse of a precious Etro fabric. A jacquard textile that narrates the legend of the dragon, an animal with a thousand symbolic and magical meanings: a symbol of luck, power and success. Was once the exclusive prerogative of the clothes intended for the emperor, it becomes with Risa a garment dedicated to everyone, with its comfortable fit and its enterprising character. The inside of such a precious garment could not be in any other material but pure silk to caress the skin of anyone who wants to feel pampered and hugged by the coils of this noble animal.

HISTORY

Longpao Chinese: 龙袍, pinyin: lóng páo, namely dragon gown, is Chinese imperial dressing with dragon and auspicious patterns embroideries. It required three or four master tailors to work for around two years to make this gown. The dragon is the highest-ranking animal in the Chinese animal hierarchy: it is held in high esteem for its dignity and power. Chinese people have a long held belief that they are descendents of the dragon, a tradition that is firmly embedded in the culture. It symbolizes protection, good fortune, wisdom, nobility, divinity and power. Chinese Emperors had them adorn garments and buildings to portray greatness, power and strength.

In his book, Marco Polo narrates his encounters with wild and exotic animals. Interestingly, he described a fight with what seems to be a Chinese dragon “We are dealing with another animal unknown to science [...] Leaving the city of Yachi, and traveling ten days into a westerly direction, you reach the Province of Carajan which is also the name of its chief city…Here are seen huge serpents, ten paces in length, and ten spans in the girt of the body.” An explanation for this almost fictional account arises from an archeological discovery. A strange creature resembling a dinosaur was found in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. It was built in the 12th century, not long before Marco Polo ventured into the East.

Dragon textile: jaquard- brand: Etro

Monochrome blue textile: 100% silk
In the evaluation of the production costs of a RISA garment, some aspects that are specific to our product must be taken into account:
- We want to maintain an equatable and fair pay for the artisans, in order to sustain this precious tradition
- Absolutely everything is made in Italy
- The fabrics used come from the most luxurious and precious Italian furniture companies in the sector
- Their characteristics are carefully selected and evaluated so that they are coupled in perfect harmony
- The recycled fabric of these exclusive companies are then coupled with fine fabrics (wool, silk, cotton, linen) to complete the garment while maintaining the high standard that distinguishes us
- This process is made for every garment produced by Risa: they are all unique and unrepeatable models. Therefore, they are all considered “sample” pieces in common fashion production terms, because they all need to go through the pre-selection, dismemberment, selection, assembly phases, followed by multiple iterations with the artisans. If you are interested to know more about our production process, you can find it below
A first pre-selection takes place when the samples must be dismembered and the tissues evaluated.
Then we move on to the stage of selection of fabrics according to their size, weight and different compositions of materials.
After these first two phases, the materials thus divided pass to the creative department where the different combinations and uses are hypothesized.
Then, the fabrics are evaluated by our artisans who, after having made the appropriate pattern, must verify the quantity, consistency and workability of the combinations.
After the first encounter, the product control team has to constantly follow the artisans in the tailoring process, intervening with further iterations and implementations so that the realization takes place with the utmost care and attention. This process is in tight collaboration with the artisans, and their expertise guides our decisions.
Finally, the garment returns to the style department where all the accessories that will contribute to giving that additional touch of creativity and imagination that RISA garments never lack are chosen: buttons, trimmings, belts, etc.
The final result of this laborious process is a RISA garment: unique, perfect in its different harmonies created by the skilful artisanal combination of fabrics, colors and shapes.

€2,500.00

LONGPAO KIMONO

TEXTILE

PRODUCT INFORMATION

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OUR PRODUCTION PROCESS