Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529398
PHOTO COURTESY OF LES SEWING SISTERS The Sound of Sewing The Sound of Sewing For Saori Mitome and Lun*na Menoh, the process of dressmaking sparks their musical creativity. in costumes came from seeing the outfits and style of a musician I loved—they were so cool that it inspired me to try creating one- of-a-kind clothing myself." When asked about the specific designers that influenced her, Mitome said the "Late-'90s Harajuku fashion are UNDERCOVER and Hysteric Glamour, which are streetwear brands. Vivienne Westwood was also a big influence. Her designs and punk aesthetic were iconic in Harajuku fashion. I admired her rebellious style and creativity. I loved exploring the quirky clothing in Takeshita Street, an area similar to Camden Market in London." Mitome explained that Takeshita Street featured punk, rockabilly, and stores selling vintage clothing from Europe and America. But as a teenager, she would window shop and observe the outfits and hairstyles of the Harajuku crowds. "Harajuku was filled with unique, one-of-a-kind outfits and intricate clothing." Mitome went to a two-year vocational fashion school to learn basic flat patternmaking and clothing construction skills and then moved to Los Angeles in 2005 as an international student and earned degrees at both Pasadena City College and LATTC (Los Angeles Trade-Tech, a community college). C R E A T I V I T Y By Erin Wenrick & Augusta Avallone Saori Mitome (left), Lun*na Menoh (right) Local 705 member Saori Mitome is a Women's Custom Made Draper who uses her talent and sewing skills to perform music with her creative partner Lun*na Menoh in their band, Les Sewing Sisters. They write lyrics that focus on the process of making, sewing, and wearing clothes and can be described as "pop meets musique Concràte." Mitome's background in costumes started in Japan where she emigrated from. "My initial interest