Also recreates anime’s Angel aliens and Spear of Longinus.

In Japan, there are schools that offer lessons in kimono kitsuke, literally “putting on kimono.” That’s kind of a misnomer, though, because while there are certain rules and conventions for how to put on the various layered robes of traditional Japanese fashion, the real artistry comes with how you tie the sash, or obi, as it’s called in Japanese.

For men, there’s a simple, standard knot, but women have much more freedom to express their creativity and individuality. Kimono coordinators are constantly dreaming up new ways to tie the sash, and kimono kitsuke expert and Japanese Twitter user Mami Bla’n’red (@blanred, and also mami.c_bla.n.red on Instagram) has come up with one of the most inventive of all, tying her obi to create…

…the head of Evangelion Unit-01!

This is no simple task, considering all the sharp, jutting angles that make up the anime robot’s jaw, horn, and the rest of its armored cranium, especially when an obi is only about as wide as an human hand. Look closely, though, and you can where some of the folds and tucks have been made, and also that Mami Bla’n’red employs the unorthodox method of twisting the obi into a cone for the mecha’s horn.

▼ A front-tied version

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1368774893894963205

Part of what makes the Eva head possible is that obi have different patterns and coloring on each side. With simpler knots, the inner-side is only peeks out in a few small folds, but here Mami Bla’n’red makes full use of the two-tone potential and the contrast it provides to create a better-defined separation between different parts of the Eva.

Of course, the whole reason we have Evangelions is to fight off those pesky Angels, and so Mami Bla’n’red has also created kimono sash designs representing the series’ invading aliens, like Sachiel…

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1320358975074832385

…and Shamshel, looking a lot happier than the time we tried raisin him as a Tamagotchi pet.

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1368805669843836929

Even the Spear of Longinus, the Eva polearm, currently stuck into the ground in front of the Tokyo Skytree, is within the obi imagination of Mami Bla’n’red.

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1368845363134697477

For those who can’t appreciate the inherent cuteness of the Angels, there’s the more universal adorableness of Mami Bla’n’red’s bunny rabbit obi knot…

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1323451545912922112

…and she’s also perfectly capable of making old-school kimono look good, like with this hand-me-down from her grandmother.

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1360148500357345288 https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1363458008752209920

▼ Mami Bla’n’red’s kimono studio/classroom, in Kumamoto city

https://twitter.com/blanred/status/1330503317387177985

We should point out that if you’re someone who’s never worn kimono wants to try it, there’s no need to be intimidated by the amazing creativity on display here, since the most basic styles really aren’t much tougher than tying a necktie. But at the same time, Mami Bla’n’red’s skills are a reminder that kimono are a part of Japanese culture with both a profound past and a wide-open future.

Source: Twitter/@blanred via IT Media
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images Twitter/@blanred
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s counting the days until he can bust out his summer kimono.