There is one item in this indigo collection that’s still available, though.
Whenever Studio Ghibli adds a new item to its Donguri Kyowakoku (“Acorn Republic”) store, you can expect it to sell like hotcakes, but when it’s an item that combines a Ghibli anime character with a traditional Japanese craft, it’s likely to sell out as soon as it’s released.
▼ That’s what happened on 26 January, when the studio unveiled the “My Neighbor Totoro Craft Style Collection“.
This three-piece Japanese clothing range features indigo dyed items with Totoro as the star character, and the pièce de résistance is the haori kimono coat, which proved to be so popular it sold out within hours of being released.
Dubbed a “Japanese-style cardigan”, this haori comes with a beautiful image of Totoro with an umbrella, flying through the sky on a spinning top, just as it does in the iconic night scene from the movie.
Some Japanese-style clouds and bursts of fireworks add even more of a traditional look to the scene, and there are cute embellishments on the sleeve and hem that also pay homage to the movie.
▼ A Soot Sprite on the sleeve…
▼…and on the hem, we have the character “と” (“to”) for “となりのトトロ” (“Tonari no Totoro”), the Japanese title for My Neighbour Totoro.
Retailing for 13,200 yen (US$89.12), the haori has been specially manufactured to look like a vintage item, with beautiful gradation on the material, and this process is also evident on the matching tote bag, which also sold out on release day.
▼ Retailing for 5,280 yen, the tote bag comes with a “と” on the back, and a tie closure for easy access.
The final item in the collection is the one item that’s still available to purchase, and it’s called the “Japanese Cloth Erimaki“.
“Erimaki” is a short scarf, designed to be worn around the neck in the style shown above or with one side over the other, like a collar, which is particularly suitable for styling with a kimono or haori coat.
Like the other items in the collection, this scarf has been meticulously designed, and it’s the most affordable in the range, priced at 3,300 yen.
What makes the sell-out nature of these items even more surprising is the fact that they were only made available to registered members of the online store. Unlike a lot of other Ghibli releases, you won’t find this collection in actual Donguri Kyowakoku locations in Japan, although interestingly the company says it may soon be released at some overseas stores, which are currently located in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and South Korea.
However, there is a silver lining as Donguri Kyowakoku says that in the event of the items being sold out, they will be restocked in April or May.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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