Mayor of Kyoto Asks Kim Kardashian to Drop Kimono Trademark

The backlash on Kim Kardashian’s Kimono brand continues.

The mayor of Kyoto, Daisaku Kadokawa, issued a statement to Kardashian on Friday asking her to drop the trademark of Kimono for her new shapewear brand, which she revealed on Tuesday.

“Kimono is a traditional ethnic dress fostered in our rich nature and history with our predecessors’ tireless endeavors and studies,” he writes in the letter. “It is a culture that has been cherished and passed down with care in our living. Also, it is a fruit of craftsmanship and truly symbolizes sense of beauty, spirits and values of the Japanese.”

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He goes on to write that the city is aiding in Japan’s initiatives to get “Kimono Culture” registered to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list because the rich culture and heritage behind the garment shouldn’t be monopolized.

Kadokawa then asks Kardashian to visit Kyoto to experience the “Kimono culture” and better understand his sentiments expressed in the letter.

The mayor’s open letter is just one of many criticisms toward Kardashian’s new line. Many on social media have accused the reality TV star and beauty mogul of cultural appropriation over the shapewear brand.

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The Kardacity… no Kim, just no. Her new venture @kimono , has been granted trademark status for several marks ranging from “Kimono” to “Solutionwear” to sell a huge range of products from shapewear and whips to ACTUAL kimonos (?!). A glance at the trademark records also offers teasers for potential dog carriers and cosmetics spinoffs (don’t we already have KKW Beauty?) 😴. Of course, traditional Japanese kimono are generally reserved for ceremonial/celebratory use and are often passed down from generation to generation, underscoring Kim's “culture vulture” reputation even further. But what does a trademark for the name of well-known Japanese garment being granted to a westerner say about the US Patent & Trademark Office? Maybe Kim's law studies are proving to be fruitful… • #kimono #kimohno #shapewear #bodycon #underwear #trademark #legal #culturevulture #culturalappropriation #japanese #traditional #stretch #knit #bbc #kimkardashian #kimye #kuwtk #kardashian #kkwbeauty #beauty #cosmetics #spanx #bodyshaper #wiwt #ootd #wtf #lame #smh #dietprada

A post shared by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada) on Jun 26, 2019 at 9:52am PDT

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