Postcards from Colkinikha

Kate Sakai invites all to get lost in her chic and lovely world

Someone once said to me that the wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) aspect of artists is their all-around distant attitude towards society. That is the only way that an artist can find inspiration. But concepts of the things we all must endure--at our jobs, in our daily lives--are completely lost on them. In the world of a creator, deadlines and traffic signals fade into obscurity. However, art is an escape. When there is a new exhibit or a breathtaking photograph of the night sky on the desk of a co-worker, one can't help but feel a stir of jealousy. It is a thrill of envy that takes us by surprise atthought--the idea that someone walks in a world that is parallel to ours but not quite the same. And certainly we wonder what it would be like to step into their shoes. So when one ventures into a shop with products from Kate Sakai, they are surprised that someone has taken that idea a step further.

Some of you may already be familiar with Kate Sakai in another forum: She was a model for such publications as Non-no and Olive (two very well-known fashion magazines in Japan). But ever since a young age, Kate has been attracted to clothes. "My parents are antique owners now, but before that they were into designing. So there were always lots of clothes around me," said Kate, dressed in a one-piece for the warm spring day at Start Line Gallery, where her exhibition began on the 26th of April. The weather, mixed with the mellow music and simple white-wash walls, and the decor topped off with a miniature tea set in a small corner of the space said it all. We were in a Doll World.

It apparently wasn't a misnomer. Kate Sakai's Doll World line is spearheaded by clothes from Colkinikha, the imaginary country that Kate created. "It is a country that lies between Russia and Swedencthe fashion line's concept comes from my thoughts on things like the weather in that country." The line, made for both the fashion forward twenty-somethings and the down-dressed thirties crowd, is laden with the feel of the surreal countryside that Ms. Sakai describes: Frilly, lacy pieces with a slight twist. One can see the influence of English antique style on Doll World's accessories, like the eggshell-colored "pillow purse", a number with shape and detail from its namesake paired with long cottony straps. Not to mention that many pieces in the collection are convertible. Such as the deep navy blue one-piece with crochet detail near the hem that can be worn as a skirt as well as a strapless. This serves to give the brand the "Wonderland" feel, to pull one unsuspecting fashionista out of the harsh realms of city living and into a world where everything is upside-down and delightfully amiss.

Indeed, Colkinika even has a resident. Meet Chelsea, the sole inhabitant of Doll World. This unassuming young 'woman', represented in the form of a silver necklace with tiny knitted detail, passes the time by reading books in her rocking chair. She seems to enjoy solitude, and interaction with people in general is not something she is eager to consider. It was then that I noticed a lot of the graphic designs feature a recurring theme: Windows. When I asked Kate the meaning of the windows, her response was intriguing: "The windows are looking in, not out. The doll [Chelsea] came into the house but she's scared to look out. Everyone is looking at her. But they can't see her." Outside looking in: The very image of a Doll House. Through cleverly designed tops with cuts that reveal a little of Kate's flair for the dramatic, we can completely capture the feeling of almost child-like anxiety and excitement for what waits on the other side of the small intricate door. The feeling that we surely share with the people outside of Chelsea's windowpane. In a nutshell, Colkinikha and Doll World is emblematic of surprise and the spice of life. Kate Sakai's concepts ask us to leave the expected, and hug the curves of the rabbit hole...all the while cradling us away from the wild, vacuous, overtly trendy fare that lies in wait in Japan's fashion hot spots.

And now the budding designer has her sights set on the spirit of her creations spreading to overseas markets. "World events, bigger exhibitions...like in Paris, for example. More events that resemble what I'm doing here today." There is also talk of a music video featuring Sakai's pieces in the works. And, of course, there is always the internet (www.colkinikha.com).

The last bit of my inhibition fading with the contagiousness of the brand's ambience, I dare to ask one more thing about Chelsea. What does Chelsea like and dislike? The response: "She likes being alone..Things she hates?" Kate repeated the question, taken a bit unawares. "She hates carrots."

An unconventional answer from a fresh young designer who defines the word 'unconventional' in the style she presents.

Kim Gillus