Kimono Style | Daniel Patterson, In Love with Flowers

I love to write about people I meet who like to wear kimono. Recently, I met Daniel Patterson and was impressed by his friendly disposition and how great he looked in kimono. And his beautiful Instagram, full of his ikebana works.

A Canadian guy wearing a soft pink kimono, with blond hair and blue eyes, is going to stand out. We arranged to go to the Yamato flea market together, and he cut a fine figure there, with many people stopping him to say how cool he looked.

*At the flea market with Daniel Patterson (©Sheila Cliffe)*

Back to the Beginning

Daniel's first encounter with anything Japanese was when he studied Ryukyu-style karate in junior high school. After completing several degrees at university, he secured a place on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, better known as the JET program, and finally came to Japan in 2006.

This landed him in Takamatsu, where he became head of the JET program in Kagawa, and after that, in Shikoku. After 5 years, he moved to Yokohama and started teaching at Tokyo International School in Nakameguro. He worked there for eight years and headed the kindergarten program for three. Since 2020, he has been teaching at Yokohama International School.

Finding the World of Flowers

Sometimes, Daniel would be drawn to ikebana flower arrangements that he would see in random places around Japan. Once, there was a small exhibition of ikebana outside his local department store. He stopped to look at it and mentioned to his co-worker that he thought it looked really cool. He told her that he would love to do something like that, but he had no artistic talent whatsoever. She replied that she thought it was lovely too, and they should try to take a trial lesson somewhere.

Daniel went home and googled "ikebana in English, Yokohama." That way, he found a teacher offering a trial lesson. It was at that first lesson that something special happened for Daniel. While holding the branches in his hand, he felt an instant change inside him. He suddenly felt that some kind of wire inside him that had been broken, was now reconnected. It was, he said, an amazing experience.

He fell instantly in love with ikebana. That happened in 2016, and he started going to two or even three classes a week, and was practicing at home as well. He couldn't get enough of ikebana.

Daniel found it easy to progress at the start of learning ikebana because there were rules and measurements for making each form. However, after a while, he had to try freestyle arranging. He found this much more difficult because he was afraid of breaking rules. His concern about the principles meant he had difficulty with his free expression. As he continued, however, he found his unique sense of style.

Freedom in Creative Expression

Describing his thinking as unconventional, he is striving not to be held back, and to constantly work on freeing himself to the unlimited possibilities for creative expression. He has passed his 2nd grade teaching level of the Sogetsu School. Now, he is aiming to take the 1st level.

Explaining his passion, Daniel told me, "Sogetsu Ikebana is special because it is an amazing abstract modern art which holds the traditions of the past while having movement and change in time. It combines the essences of nature, spirituality, and humanity to express what happens around us and the emotions of the artist."

He has participated in the annual Sogetsu show at Nihonbashi Takashimaya and at a local show in Yokohama, and also held a show jointly with a ceramicist. In addition, he has made flower arrangements for many businesses. He teaches privately and does seminars and events for special days such as Christmas or Valentine's Day.

Daniel is about to embark on the next chapter of his ikebana journey under the tutelage of Saihou Ozono, whose work is very unbridled and creative. Under Sensei Ozono's artistic eye, Daniel hopes to embrace the abstract more and lose his insecurities about the rules. Also, he is looking forward to making larger pieces. He is very excited as he has been watching Saihou Ozono for a few years and believes that they have a compatible way of thinking and approach to creativity.

A Natural in Kimono

It was at a Sogetsu Shinenkai, the first New Year's party since the pandemic, that Daniel first wore kimono. Just as he was thinking about wanting to wear one, @menskimonolife popped up on his social media. He sent a message and ordered a kimono to be made up for the New Year's party.

*Daniel Patterson in pink kimono (©Sheila Cliffe)*

Feeling a bit intimidated by it the first time, he had a friend help him dress. However, he really enjoyed the experience and thought that the kimono suited him well. Many compliments going to and from the party helped him feel more comfortable. Then, he wore men's kimono again for a client's party, and she encouraged him to make kimono a part of his life.

After practicing for several hours, he eventually felt like he could do it well. Now he feels comfortable wearing kimono, even though he really stands out, and is enjoying colorful, kimono fashion. His natural love for colors is expressed through his kimono as well as through his flower art. Through kimono, he says, he has made many new and interesting connections with people.

Daniel has been featured on NHK Workpedia and in several other media outlets. He is looking forward to seeing his kimono style develop and discovering how it interacts with his growing ikebana skills. In the future, he would like to participate in more shows and events. He'd also like to teach and share the art of ikebana around the world. It is a joy to see Daniel spreading such beauty into his world through his stunning floral creations!

See Daniel's work on Instagram.