Miss Universe Japan Emiri Miyasaka models the costume she was originally planning to wear at the finals in the Bahamas this month.

Barrage of complaints force Miss Universe Japan to change costume design for finals

Saturday 01st August, 09:25 AM JST

TOKYO —

Japan’s candidate for the 2009 Miss Universe Pageant, 25-year-old Emiri Miyasaka, will wear a different costume to the finals this month in the Bahamas after her original design received widespread criticism as being “too extreme.”

Shocking pink stockings, panties and a garter belt completed the ensemble of a black leather kimono cut off to reveal everything below the waist, a look that received a flood of criticism both domestically and from across the globe. Voices of protest also came from the obi and kimono makers, who were not informed of the design of the costume beforehand, ultimately leading to a decision to redesign the dress.

Miss Universe Japan officials announced the decision on their website. They said the new costume would feature a kimono of the “original length,” covering the lower half of Miyasaka’s body and hiding her panties and garter. The pattern on the kimono itself will not be changed.

The costume was originally designed by Frenchwoman Ines Ligron, the director of the Miss Universe Japan office, who was given the job by Miss Universe Organization owner and U.S. real estate mogul Donald Trump himself. Sources say Ligron was inspired by a Christian Dior collection of kimono-like garments. She ordered the kimono to be made by Yoshiyuki Ogata, owner of a company that is pushing for a revival of traditional-style Japanese clothing.

The costume, which was revealed to the world on July 22, drew criticism from over 2,000 people including comments that “Japan will be misunderstood” and “the garter belts make it look like something a prostitute would wear.” The obi manufacturers, who were not informed of the kimono’s design beforehand, complained, “Had we known it was going to look like that, we would have never provided them the obi,” a disapproval that ultimately led to a decision to redesign the costume.

In reaction to the complaints, Ligron initially stated on her blog that “It has surely created a huge PR buzz around the world which was the concept. The conservative and fashion-dinosaurs are criticizing her costume, meanwhile the fashionistas love it. I care only about the movers and shakers in the fashion industry.”

Ogata was also assertive on his blog, posting: “That the kimono is a symbol of the humble Japanese woman is a delusion created by modern-day Japanese.”

Yoshitaka Tsujimura, board chairman of Shizuoka’s Tsujimura College of Japanese Clothing, said of the design, “Our entire faculty was shocked at how obscene it was. For those who have never seen a real kimono, it may be fine, but to us it just looks like someone’s efforts to strip the garment into something lewd and cheap. This woman is going to be representing our country, and she has no right to ruin the image of ‘proper Japanese clothing.’ I’m quite frankly relieved to know they’ve decided to change the design.”

News reports

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Latest 15 of 113 Total Comments Show All

Blue_Tiger at 02:24 AM JST - 4th August

Good for the people of Japan to not accept trashiness as their >ahem< national costume.
bdaniel08 at 06:24 PM JST - 4th August

Mrs Ligron has produced three top 5 finishes within four years beginning with Miyako Miyazaki .........This is the end of her winning streak.

I am pretty sure of the contrary.
selph at 07:30 PM JST - 4th August

I do understand the people complaining about the costume. However if the nation in question was to be a little more open about some of the not-so-hidden passions and well-established fetishes found in its culture and everyday life, the Miss Japan's costume is nothing but plain suitable in the context of a Miss Universe 2009 - an openly sexist kind of entertainment [and money business!] in itself. The outfit is both manga-AV-kawaii-cute and a reference to traditional costume.. yes, one can argue about the sense of haute fashion as the leather outfit is slightly on the kitschy Gaultier side, while the kimono aesthetics is so sacred to many. But as a statement in the world of showbiz this works fine [see the reaction!] - my great respect to the designer and to Emiri-san for the courage. Sometimes I wish people and “nations” in general had a slightly more relaxed, honest and humorous attitude towards their own “national values” and “national image”. In the end, we are all but humans, no matter nation or race - and we all smile at, cry about and get aroused by the same things.
Redeemed at 12:11 AM JST - 5th August

The costume was originally designed by Frenchwoman Ines Ligron.

Why not a Japanese designer?
sfjp330 at 03:56 AM JST - 5th August

You have to remember, everybody is watching her step. This is in a image business and potential advertising agencies and companies will probably pass her up. She missed a golden opportunity by not making a good decision. This is going to cost her alot of money. Regardless of her explanation, the outfit bashed traditional kimono, a symbol of Japan.
Klein2 at 08:17 AM JST - 5th August

If it had trashed all of Japanese tradition and looked good, I would say GO FOR IT, but it just looks so dumb and pointless. Glad they decided to change it. Kimono were not designed to be revealing. They were designed to be modest.
jason6 at 04:02 PM JST - 5th August

1) I see more obscene stuff on the streets of Kobe every day. On high-school students. 2) The costume is truly horrible. What kind of idiot designed it and do they understand the spirit of a kimono in the first place?
tokyotom at 02:47 AM JST - 6th August

i like it, fits the occassion on oh so many levels
alphawolf at 04:34 AM JST - 6th August

She must be an idiot to not know how skanky she looks and how wearing that garbage would make Japanese a total joke.

aw
helloklitty at 03:49 PM JST - 6th August

I don't think it's Emiri's fault for wearing it. She's a model - she has to wear whatever is given to her. I happen to love it, though. She's an incredibly beautiful woman.
Klein2 at 04:58 PM JST - 6th August

..an incredibly beautiful woman... I guess we all have our standards. You mean unimaginably or unbelievably beautiful, right? "As though such a person could not possibly exist on this planet"... beautiful?

These beauty queen types are a dime a dozen if you hang out in the right places. I suppose the most amazing thing about her is the way she pulls it off even though she must know it is ugly. She looks genuinely thrilled. WOW! Now that is a person who can sell vitamin drinks and bad beer. I have no doubt that she will go far in the business, but beauty? It is not even part of the equation.
DanManjt at 10:28 PM JST - 6th August

Ugly
amerijap at 06:38 AM JST - 7th August

I guess most people don't want to see the nightmare in a renowned international event-- unleashing the shock values of extremely sensual garment through public media-- like JJ's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl Half-Time Show in 2004.
KyotoChris at 10:28 PM JST - 7th August

It's a very silly looking costume. Kimono are not supposed to be lifted like that anyway! :)
kimono at 09:06 AM JST - 10th August

Too much noise on this subject... I think this kimono was more a cheerful way to show that tradition and modernity can live well together... Oh well... On her election show as Miss Universe Japan in May, Emiri was already critisized for her outfit while performing quite very well, I found, on Chicago, the musical. She was wearing fushia lingerie, stockings, high heels and a beautifull hat designed by Mademoiselle Slassi, the Parisian milliner. That was all... An as far as I was concerned I found her very classy; not an ounce of vulgarity... But what do you think? Watch on Youtube.com/watch?v=psftGklt5ZA