09 March, 2008

Making a Maiko

Mai=dance, ko=girl. In the classical tradition of Kyoto, Japan, a maiko is an apprentice geisha, a highly stylised figure of youth, beauty and innocence, on her way to becoming a fully rounded entertainer, hostess and artist. It's impossible ever for me to be a maiko IRL, because I'm a) not Japanese, b) not in Japan, c) unable to speak Japanese and d) too old now, but in SL, you can be anything your avatar can portray. This post is a guide to the accoutrements of a maiko in Second Life, with where-to-buy advice. If it helps a few people to get set up, yay!
If you want to become a maiko, you'll need to sign on with one of the in-world okiya, or geisha houses. I'm assuming here that you want to focus on the performing arts/entertaining aspect of geisha, not using geisha as a code word for 'Oriental-styled prostitute.' Subtle sexuality or eroticism is part of the profession of a geisha, but they're really and truly not hookers.
My okiya is the Mitsuba (just like Liza Dalby!), and I've also had good experiences with Little Yoshiwara and Satoharu. There are several other okiya and ochaya (teahouses) in SL, and you should investigate carefully before deciding to join one. Some will charge you a fee for your training up front; most will require a percentage of your tips/earnings (like an agent). Try to find a place where you feel comfortable with the attitude of the people running the show. I, for one, don't respond well to the very authoritarian style of management present in RL traditional okiya, so I know I have to avoid an oka-san (mother of the house, manager) who is RPing an old-school RL oka-san!
In most cases, you'll have a probationary period called 'minarai,' in which you are expected to carefully observe working maiko and geisha - minarai means 'learning by observation.' If you're still into it after that, you'll be promoted to maiko and assigned to an onee-san, 'big sister' or mentor geisha. She'll teach you, correct you, and cover for you if you mess up :) And you'll need to get all equipped! So...

What are we to do with this coltish contemporary kid? How can we shape her into the model of a modern maiko? First, she has to learn to stand like one!
To successfully wear a kimono in SL, you'll need an appropriate animation overrider. Poses in which your feet spread apart are no good, as they will stretch out the texture of your kimono skirt and make it look dreadful. (IRL, they would make the front of the robe gape open and show your legs OMG! scandal.) Here I'm using the Endless Dreams Geisha AO, which goes for L300. I bought it before I knew about the ugokiya busidou woman's kimono AO, which doesn't have the elegant hand gestures, but also allows you to hold your head up so you don't always look up at people from under your brows. And it's L50. I report, you decide :) The main thing is that these AOs keep your feet together when standing and give you a walk that doesn't mess up your skirt.
Hmm, what's next in our maiko makeover... those tracky-daks have got to go.
An off-duty maiko will usually be dressed in a simple blue and white cotton yukata, the most basic and casual form of kimono. The one I'm sporting here is a freebie made by kimono craftswoman Rumi Simpson, available at the outdoor bathhouse in Nagaya. Rumi's other kimono designs are definitely worth investigating, but not suitable for maiko/geisha wear because the structure of their sleeves doesn't look right when you dance in them. She also makes scripted musical instruments, including shamisen that are a must for SL geisha. Your onee-san or oka-san will probably help you with the purchase of these bigger-ticket items, sometimes as a gift, sometimes as a loan to be paid off once you are earning.
Now that our maiko is in her yukata, she needs to head for the hair salon to get styled.
What a transformation! IRL, maiko are required to grow their hair long and have it washed and set into this style weekly. During the week, they sleep with their necks resting on a leather-padded wooden 'pillow' so that the style doesn't get squashed. Maiko hazing by mean 'big sisters' can include sprinkling rice bran around the 'pillow' so that if her head rolls off to the floor, the bran will stick to the camellia oil used as pomade and the whole hairdo will have to be unpicked, washed and reset.
The style is called 'momoware,' or split peach, and is built around a section of hair very firmly tied at the crown of the head. Over time the hair roots of this section are damaged by the strain and maiko develop a little bald spot! Nowadays this can be fixed by cosmetic surgery, but for old-school geisha it was a badge of honour, a sign that you'd made it through the discomfort of maiko training with your faculties intact.
Once a maiko graduates to geisha level, she is allowed to do what she likes with her real hair and sleep much more comfortably, as geisha wear custom-made wigs when entertaining.
For us, of course, it's as easy as attaching a prim hairdo. I'm wearing the maiko hairbase 2.4 from *booN, which is the best I've found. Others available in SL include Del's Mikiko from Delectica, and Orchid Dreams' Simplicity and Regal Maiko Hair. Mikiko comes in ornamented and plain varieties, so you can add and subtract decorations as you please. However, it isn't quite as pretty as the 2.4, in my opinion. I haven't worn the Orchid Dreams hairdos, but they look good on the vendor pictures and are L150 each. Flower & Willow has maiko hairdos too, and like the rest of Hatsune Yoshikawa's work, they're lovely.
She's starting to look more like a maiko, but there's something vital missing...

The iconic maiko makeup. This skin comes from Orchid Dreams, and it's the junior maiko version, with only the lower lip painted red. Senior maiko also have the upper lip's Cupid's bow painted, and less pink contouring powder around the eyes and cheeks. You'll notice that the white foundation is not blended away at the hairline; this is deliberate, the makeup resembling a mask or doll. The ears are left bare. The effect is of little flashes of naked skin appearing through a very stylised, elegant façade, and yes, that's where the subtle eroticism comes in. Again, after graduating to geisha you no longer wear this elaborate makeup, except on special formal occasions. The geisha look is overall much more subtle, understated and natural than the maiko style, and reflects the fact that a geisha is a mature woman of the world, rather than a pretty doll. Maiko's looks are played up because they are not yet expected to have the advanced social skills of geisha, yet a top geisha can outshine the most glamorous maiko simply by being so damned elegant, vivacious and fascinating.
*booN also carries a maiko skin, and so does *Sakurako* Skin and Shape. There used to be nice ones at Tête à Pied, but they seem to have disappeared in the changeover to Fleur. As you might expect, your maiko skin will be one of those big-ticket items. It is not cheap to set up in this biz. Do try on demos to make sure you are happy with the skin before laying any money down.
Her coiffure needs one last touch.

The aesthetics of Japan are very closely linked to the seasons and the different phases of nature. The choice of kimono for any occasion - fabric weight, pattern and colours - is clearly dictated by the month. (You can read more about this in Liza Dalby's excellent book Kimono: Fashioning Culture.) Likewise, maiko wear a special kanzashi (hair ornament) for each month, showcasing seasonal flowers, greenery and even insects. This is the March kanzashi from *booN, with cabbage white butterflies and canola blossoms (aka rape blossoms, yes, there's really a plant called rape, but who wants it on their head?). You can also get monthly maiko kanzashi from Flower & Willow, but I prefer the *booN designs. Both collections are works in progress, with new designs coming out at the beginning of each month, and should be complete by the end of this year.
Now let's get dressed!

Now is the moment to say: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Flower & Willow kimonos. They are soooooooo boss. Each one comes with your choice of maiko or geisha-style collar, obi and sleeves, they have lovely vivid clear textures, some are available in floor-trailing hikizuri style, they just show so much attention to detail! They make me gush! This is the Jade Koi design, which I chose to complement the vivid colours of the canola kanzashi, and to evoke the green of early spring. There are lots of good kimono stylists in Second Life; F&W just happens to be my favourite. You should also check out Giorno Brando, Aoharu and Cherry Tokyo. An excellent place for kimono kaimono (shopping) from a variety of designers is Jocko Domo, which is conveniently close to the Mitsuba teahouse.
Geisha and maiko wear their kimonos differently from normal Japanese women. Most noticeably, the collar is loosely draped at the nape of the neck, creating an effect of 'back cleavage' which is considered most stirring. Geisha wear white collar liners, while maikos' collars are lined with silver-embroidered red. Once again, maiko are fancier but geisha are sexier.


When a maiko approaches, you're supposed to notice her makeup, kanzashi and swishing sleeves, of course, but the outfit is really designed to be viewed from behind, with the sumptuous display of the long hanging obi, the 'back cleavage,' the voluptuous 'split peach' bun, and the flash of naked skin at the nape of the neck. Phwoar, eh?
Maiko kimonos tend to be in bright colours, with vivid, busy patterns. Geisha dress in quieter shades, with more plain silk and less area covered by dyed or embroidered patterns. Because they're cool that way.

The other sign that a maiko is nearby is the chiming. Maiko wear special platform versions of zori sandals, called okobo, which have little bells inside that jingle at every step. These came from Orchid Dreams. You can also get plainer-looking okobo that actually chime at Nakamura-ya.
And that's about it, for now! I hope this information is helpful. As I've said, it's not cheap to equip yourself as a maiko, but you can console yourself with the thought that it's a mere fraction of the cost of doing the same thing IRL!

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