Today’s #JoeyWorldProject comes all the way from #Pakistan 🇵🇰 from our amazing new friend Maria who runs an non-profit org called Women’s Digital League (@wdl_pk) which seeks to empower Pakistani women by training and connecting them to online work. Maria wrote to me that they promote economic empowerment for women this way as "it’s really difficult for women in Pakistan to go outside to work." “Through the Joey World Project,” she wrote, "I’d like to bring a softer image of Pakistan and show a new side of Pakistani women achieving amazing things.” She also wrote that she didn’t want publicity for herself or for WDL but that she just wanted to send this dress simply to do it for her fellow #Pakistani women…but I just can’t help but share about her and her incredible work as it inspires me deeply! Thank you Maria and WDL for all you’re doing every day. It’s people like you who stirs my heart and gives me hope! This gorgeous #shalwarkameez is a version of the national dress of Pakistan and was custom-designed for Joey by Pakistani designer Sana Arif @seap.bysanaarif. Can I just say, WOW! This dress was made in pure silk and chiffon with adda and gotta embellishments. Gotta is a gold or silver ribbon that’s used in traditional dresses from the subcontinent including countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Adda got its name from the huge wooden embroidery frames that the cloth is fitted on and combinations of beads, sequins, diamantes, silk thread and mirrors are designed upon. The ring-toed slippers are called #kolhapuri and they go back to the 13th century and have made a come-back in Pakistan with designers giving them a more modern look. I believe the scarf is worn more often on the shoulder but I decided to photograph Joey with the scarf on her head because I wanted to showcase just how beautiful the scarf is. What a stunning piece of art this outfit is! I just want to frame it and hang it in our home! Thank you so much Maria and Sana for this precious treasure. You have no idea what this means to our family. 💕

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 1, 2017 at 7:54am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject costume is a second one for the country of #Morocco. 🇲🇦 This beautiful #kaftan was sent by our new friend Hanae. Thank you so much for this gorgeous dress! It’s too beautiful to wear only once! I’ll definitely have Joey wear this to a special occasion somewhere. The gold slippers (#babouche) made me absolutely squeal. A little bit about the Moroccan kaftan: It first appeared in the 16th century and over the centuries, the style has changed as people from other countries started moving to Morocco, bringing different fabrics and material like silk thread to create rich textiles. There are various styles of kaftans and the other one Joey wore was a cotton kaftan that is often worn in the hot summer days but this one is a more elegant style that is reserved for special occasions like wedding celebrations. If you zoom in, you’ll see all of the elaborate details in embroidery and beading. It’s absolutely stunning. It would be so amazing to see this country in person. Thank you Hanae!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jun 27, 2017 at 7:58am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject is Liberia! This beautiful dress was sent to us by our new friend Chara and her 4 year-old son Xavier (Coolest name ever!) to represent #Liberia 🇱🇷 - Africa’s oldest independent + democratic republic and the first African country to elect a female president! The Liberian women’s movement lead the way for the signing of the 2003 Accra comprehensive peace agreement which ended Liberia’s 14 year civil war. Yes! Go women!🙋🏻 This #pisocollection dress was made in Liberia from a wax printed cloth called #lappa and the head tie is made from a handwoven cotton fabric called “country cloth.” This striped textile was woven on a tripod loom by a female #Vai weaver in Grand Cape Mount County located in western Liberia. Chara wrote to us telling us that the area has beautiful coastal areas with amazing surfing spots on gorgeous beaches. Wow, I wish I could see it in person! Thank you so much Chara and Xavier for sending us this beautiful outfit. I’m so honored to have Joey wear this dress especially knowing the history behind the powerful Liberian women’s movement. Thank you and God bless your country!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Apr 21, 2017 at 9:16am PDT

We’re kicking off this week with this gorgeous outfit from our new friend Macarena who lives in Barcelona, #Spain! 🇪🇸 Wow thank you so much Macarena! I love how colorful the #JoeyWorldProject has become! This gorgeous #Gitana outfit (aka flamenco outfit) is attributed to the Gitanos (Roma people of Spain) but now it's generally thought of as typically Andalusian (southern Spain). There are two forms of this dress: one worn by #flamenco dancers and the other worn as a day dress. This one definitely looks more like a flamenco dress! I was so excited to dress Joey up in this outfit especially in those heels. I can’t even handle it. Don't know if you caught her the other day on our Stories of her walking around in them but it was the cutest thing ever. I know FOR SURE we will be visiting Spain one day (we’re gonna come see you @javierabad & @pablobeglez!). I love to watch travel shows and anytime they do an episode on Spain, it makes me want to drop everything and hop on the next plane. ¡Viva #España! 🇪🇸 🥘🍮💃🏻⚽️🎶

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Apr 17, 2017 at 8:06am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject entry comes from our new friend Alice! She sent us this beautiful belly dancing dress to represent #Egypt. 🇪🇬 Thank you so much Alice! I’ll have to dress Joey up in it again so she can wop in it! I had always thought belly dancing dresses showed the belly but I found out that since the 50s, belly dancers in Egypt were banned from showing their midriffs and are required to cover their belly buttons. So now many dancers wear long gowns like this instead. Interesting fact right? There are other dresses that could easily represent Egypt but I’m so glad to have this unique belly dancing dress. OK, so I’m going to change the topic here a little bit. One of the main reasons why I started the #JoeyWorldProject was because I wanted to somehow bring to attention the world’s many diverse and vibrant cultures. To somehow bring the world a little closer through these photos, thanks to the major help from our fans from all over the world who gifted these precious outfits to us. I really want us to be mesmerized by each other’s cultures, to RESPECT and LOVE one another, no matter what race and religion. This past Palm Sunday, two Coptic Christian churches in Egypt were bombed and many were killed and wounded. It was such devastating news and I couldn’t help but carry the weight of this heartbreaking news in my heart, cry and pray for them. When I look at each of these different costumes, I don’t just see the dress. I see the people, the language, the religion, the history. Cultures are preserved in these traditional outfits and they will continue to last thru countless generations. Every time a fan sends an outfit, I’m overcome with joy and filled with gratitude that I can have a piece of the world I've never been to and also learn something new about each country. What I hope I can accomplish through this project is also to teach Joey all of this. I hope that she grows up inspired to learn more and live a life that crosses oceans and mountains and never hesitate to extend friendship, respect and love especially to those who are different from her. Thank you everyone for joining us on this project. We hope you are blessed thru this as we have been.

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Apr 12, 2017 at 8:24am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject comes all the way from #Lima, Peru. 🇵🇪 I have a special place in my heart for #Peru. My sister and I went to Lima and #Cusco in 2007 not only to experience the vibrant Peruvian culture and to hike beautiful #MachuPicchu but we had the honor to teach at a local school and stay with a local family in Cusco on their farm in the mountains. It was probably the best trip of our lives as we fell so deep in love with the people we met and the culture that welcomed us with open arms. We were also so inspired by all of the rich art culture there, from painting and textiles to music and architecture and more. It was surreal just to be there soaking in every sound, sight, and smell. So when one of our fans, Melissa sent us this beautiful dress (and other sweet gifts), memories of our trip came flooding back and it literally brought tears to my eyes. This dress comes from Cusco, most specifically from the Urubamba Valley. It’s used as everyday clothing by some of the women who live there as well as worn in carnivals, special occasions and for folk dancing. The dress is made up of 5 pieces: a skirt, a jacket, a hat (montura), a sort of cape (lliklla) and a string of pom poms (candunga). I remember seeing women and children wearing these everywhere in Cusco. I am so excited to have this dress in my home because of all the precious memories that are attached to it. Thank you so much Melissa for this priceless gift. Congrats on graduating from university and your first hair cut in five years, wow! Can’t wait to meet you and your family when we visit Peru one day!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Apr 4, 2017 at 9:17am PDT

Buenos dias! Today’s #JoeyWorldProject dress comes all the way from #GuatemalaCity 🇬🇹 #Guatemala sent by our generous fans, Alejandro, his sisters Fátima and Evelyn, and their parents Liltzy and Abel. Thank you so much for this stunning dress. I’m continually so impressed by how colorful and intricately made so many of these cultural traditional dresses are from all over the world! This beautiful dress is the native costume of San Juan Sacatepéquez, an area located northwest of Guatemala City. This Mayan blouse is called a huipil or po’t. which is elegantly hand-woven. Each garment is uniquely decorated with variety of designs and symbols, each with its own sacred meaning. Women weavers generally spend several hours a day seated on their knees weaving the panels. It can even take up to 6 months for one huipil to be made! Wow! Thank you so much again Alejandro for sending a piece of your country’s rich beautiful culture. I love how I’m learning so much about each country that is part of the #JoeyWorldProject. Isn’t it so great to see the world in this unique way? I’m so thankful!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Mar 31, 2017 at 11:37am PDT

Today is Afghan (Persian) New Year so here is another #JoeyWorldProject entry representing #Afghanistan 🇦🇫! I received this beautiful Afghan dress from our new friend Khatera and her family Ali, Jaala, Ozzy and Asher. We were so honored to have received this stunning dress which was lovingly handmade by Khatera’s mother-in-law's sister who lives in the Ghazni province in Afghanistan. Even the beads were all originally made! In the words of Khatera, “I like to believe with every stitching there’s a story in it.” Their family is from the northeast (Panjshir) and are descendants of Russian/European folk. While most Afghan dresses vary from tribe to tribe or city to city, I was told there are always 3 parts to the outfit. The chador (scarf), firak (dress) and partoog (loose trousers). When I received this in the mail, I couldn’t take my eyes off of all of the intricate handwork that went into this dress. Absolutely beautiful! Khatera wrote to me about how she and her husband immigrated to the US during the Russian/Afghan war that raged on from 1979-89 to live a better life in America. I love what she wrote to me in her letter, “Even though we assimilate ourselves in the American culture, we will never forget where we are from and how our parents sacrificed to be here and to be an upstanding American citizen.” That’s been my story as well, along with millions of other American immigrants. Thank you so much Khatera and family for this precious gift. Happy Afghan New Year! #nowruz #afghandukht

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Mar 21, 2017 at 8:26am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject dress comes from #SaudiArabia 🇸🇦 sent from our new friend Meaad with love and spices. Literally! Thank you so much gifting us the jar of Kabsa spice along with this gorgeous Arabian Gulf dress. I’m definitely going to try to make some yummy Arabian rice! This beautiful dress is a version of the #djellaba aka #kaftan. Before the late 50s the majority of the people of the Arabian Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE & Qatar) worked as fishermen/pearl divers. They used to go on prolonged sea trips to hunt for goods under the sea. Their trips served as a great means of communication between other nations, especially Indians and Afghans. Families would anticipate the return of their loved ones along with all the beautiful handmade goods from these countries. Different fabrics were made with golden ribbons, dazzling tiny mirrors in different tribal patterns. These garments would be worn on special occasions such as Girgi’aan which is the Arab equivalent of Halloween where you get candy and money door to door in Ramadan. Isn’t this dress so gorgeous?! Thank you again Meaad for this precious piece of Arabian culture. We will cherish it forever.

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Mar 20, 2017 at 9:39am PDT

We have another #JoeyWorldProject entry from beautiful #Ecuador 🇪🇨! This gorgeous outfit was gifted to us con cariño from sisters Tamara and Gabriela and their mother Consuelo who live in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Thank you ladies so much! The instructional video with the cabbage patch doll you sent was hilarious and so helpful! This traditional dress represents the Otavalos & Otavaleños which is a group of native Ecuadorians living in Imbabura which is in the north. The hand embroidery on this is absolutely stunning and knowing this came directly from Ecuador fills my heart with so much joy! Here are a couple fun facts about Ecuador! Ecuador is the closest country to space (yup, more than Mt Everest!) and Ecuador was named its name because the equator runs right thru the country. I don't know why I didn't even know that! Hope I can visit one day, especially the Galápagos Islands. 🐢Besos y abrazos! 💋🙆🏻 #AllYouNeedIsEcuador #Otavalo #UIO

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Mar 10, 2017 at 11:12am PST

¡Hóla! Today's #JoeyWorldProject dress comes all the way from Santiago, #Chile 🇨🇱! Our sweet fans Wei Ying and Jorge sent us this beautiful #huasaelegante that women wear to perform Chile's traditional dance cueca in which a handkerchief is incorporated into the dance. Oh how I wish I can see this dance in person! Thank you so much for sending us this amazing piece of Chile's culture. I was once in Chile for 2 hours during a layover and it was such a tease sitting in the airport eating my airport-empanada. Joey, one day I hope you can go and see this dance in person!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Feb 28, 2017 at 8:51am PST

This beautiful dress is from #Albania 🇦🇱 sent from our fan Céline who now lives in France. It was lovingly handmade by her husband's aunt! Thank you so much Céline and family. We're so honored to have this in our #JoeyWorldProject collection. I looked up photos of Albania and wow, it is a stunningly beautiful country. I've only known Albania as where Mother Teresa was from but having this traditional dress from there in my home makes me feel like I've traveled there. Thank you so much for giving us a taste of Albania. And thank you for teaching me the word urime! 💕😘

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Feb 25, 2017 at 1:00pm PST

Vive La #France! 🇫🇷Thank you so much Solène for sending us this adorable mime outfit from France to add to the #JoeyWorldProject 💕 We loved the photographs you included of your beautiful hometown and we read your beautiful letters to Joey many times. Thank you so much for your kind and generous heart. 💝 I made these baguettes out of the bread yeast you sent us. They're not the best looking baguettes but they ended up being great teethers for Joey. 😂 One day, we will make a trip to France and visit Paris and the gorgeous countryside. We'll definitely EAT our way through France starting with croissants and cheese. 🥐🧀When will this happen?? 🙏🏼

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Feb 22, 2017 at 11:30am PST

Another addition to the #JoeyWorldProject! This beautiful #sarongkebaya (worn by the Peranakan in Singapore) was gifted to us by one of our fans from #Singapore 🇸🇬 Thank you so much Eve! 😘I must one day visit this beautiful island-city-country (They are all three!) and try their famous chicken rice. I'm so in love with this dress. So amazed at how colorful and intricate the embroidery is. Love that it's very bright and floral too. 🌺🌼🌸 Anyone here from Singapore? 😊 SIDE NOTE: After reading your comments, I felt I should write this. Yes, the kebaya is also worn in Indonesia, Malaysia and some other countries but because Singapore is a nation of many diverse races and cultures (and because there is not one specific national outfit), this kebaya can also represent Singapore. I will definitely do the other countries (if we receive the outfits!) but let's please remain respectful for Singapore as that was the intent for this project. Thank you! 😘💕

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Feb 16, 2017 at 8:24am PST

Keep calm and nap on. 😴💂🏻‍♀️🇬🇧 | Today's #JoeyWorldProject is for the #UnitedKingdom. Don't worry, that hat was taken off seconds after I took this picture and had a good chuckle to myself. 😂 Thank you to our fans baby Sophia, Mummy Cindy and Daddy Jun in London for sending us this amazing #QueensGuard uniform! I was once in #London for about 5 hours during a flight layover and I took a quick two-hour tour on a bus that literally just spun us around the city and headed straight back to the airport. It was such a tease! Next time, we'll definitely stay for tea and crumpets....and maybe Indian food?? Heard it's so delicious there. 😋

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Feb 3, 2017 at 9:31am PST

#HappyLunarNewYear! 🐓🏮🎉 Thank you YOLO aunties for this beautiful Vietnamese #aodai 🇻🇳 #JoeyWorldProject #Vietnam #TetViet

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jan 27, 2017 at 8:30am PST

Kicking off the #JoeyWorldProject with Japan where I was born! 🇯🇵 Joey is 1/8 Japanese and I call her Jo-chan all the time. Our dream is to take Joey to Japan for the first time in 2020 for the Olympic Games there. (How do you even get tickets to the Olympics??) She would be 4 years old by then! | Thank you to so many of you who have offered to send us traditional clothing from your countries! This beautiful #jinbei #甚平 is from @honeyboubou_design. Thank you! 👘

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jan 23, 2017 at 1:01pm PST

How do you put a baby #astronaut to sleep? You rocket. 🚀 #NASA

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jan 6, 2017 at 9:01am PST

Happy Friday! Today’s #JoeyWorldProject is the second entry from #India. 🇮🇳 Thank you so much Rathi for sending us this beautiful dress along with the other gorgeous party dresses. I used to have a similar purple sari that my college roommate Benita (hi love!) gave to me. She taught me how to pleats the folds using my fingers and I’ll never forget it to this day. I’m not sure if I dressed Joey properly in this dress and I hope it’s ok! I did some researching on the history of the sari and I was happy to learn something new! The Sari is a word derived from the sanskrit word 'sati’ which means a strip of cloth. ‘Sati' became ‘Sadi' and then later into ‘Sari, Saree or Shari". There are countless beautiful ways to wear the Sari and I won’t even attempt to try to explain them (for fear of getting something wrong!) but more often than not, you’ll see the midriff exposed, which is my favorite part of this dress. This came from the Hindu tradition where the navel is considered the source of birth, life and creativity. How beautiful is that?? Every single time I see a woman dressed in a sari, it really takes my breath away. The colors, embroidery, shape of the body and movement of the fabric is really mesmerizing. I’m so happy Joey was able to wear one at such a young age already. I’m sure she’ll be asking for another one when she’s older!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jul 7, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

I am so excited to share with you today’s #JoeyWorldProject that came all the way from #Mongolia. 🇲🇳 My dear friends Agnes, Jene-Robin and Jane came back from a trip there recently where they met with Zoe who gifted this gorgeous Mongolian costume to me. Thank you so much Zoe! This costume needs to be framed and displayed! Thank you ladies also for the horse doll and postcard! The Mongolian traditional costume is called the deel (plural). The Del for everyday wear is gray, brown or some other dark color while the holiday Del, which Joey is wearing here, normally comes in a bright blue, green or claret silk with a silk sash of contrasting color several meters long. The sash serves as a soft corset which helps long riders on horseback. The Del comes with wide, cup-shaped sleeves nicknamed “hooves.” It helps protect the hands from the cold and from injuries while doing hard labor. I have to tell you some amazing facts about Mongolia. Mongolia is referred to as “Land of the Blue Sky” because it has over 260 sunny days a year! There are also 13 times more horses than humans and sheep outnumber humans 35 to 1. A more interesting historical fact about Mongolia is that women had more rights compared to other surrounding Asian societies. For instance in the Mongol Empire, women were able to fight in armies, receive an advanced military education, tend to animal herds, and even assume positions of political power. Mothers and their children would stay at the back of the armies, making the Mongols appear far larger than they actually were. Isn’t that wild? The more I do these Joey World Project posts, the more I learn how incredible each country is and the more beautiful the world is to me. I hope you all enjoying this project as much as I am!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Aug 21, 2017 at 7:51am PDT

Today's #JoeyWorldProject costume represents #Indonesia! 🇮🇩 I was waiting for Joey to be big enough to fit into this beautiful #kebaya and I’m so happy now that she finally can! Thank you so much @mochi_kids for sending this outfit and the basket! The kebaya is a blouse-dress combination that is traditionally worn by women in Indonesia as well as other countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Burma, southern Thailand, Cambodia and the southern part of the Philippines. I found out a really cool fact about the Indonesian kebaya which I have to share. During World War 2, Indonesian female prisoners refused to wear western dresses allocated to them and instead wore the kebaya as a display of solidarity to separate themselves from fellow Chinese, Europeans and Eurasian inmates. Also the only woman present during Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence, journalist and activist SK Trimurti, wore the kebaya, cementing it as the female dress of nationalism. After Indonesian independence, the kebaya was appointed as a national costume of Indonesian women. Wow! What an amazing history behind this dress! Love learning something new about these traditional outfits. The history of this particular one really inspired me. 💁🏻🇮🇩💕

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Aug 9, 2017 at 8:26am PDT

Здравейте! That’s “hello” in the Bulgarian Cyrillic language! This beautiful Thracian folklore costume comes all the way from #Bulgaria 🇧🇬 from our new friends Petia, Dimitar and their sweet baby Georgi! Thank you so much for sending such a beautiful piece of Bulgarian culture to add to our #JoeyWorldProject! This traditional dress is just one of many different types of traditional garb in Bulgaria but this particular kind is from Petia’s hometown area called Stara Zagora which is in the middle of Bulgaria. I failed to find any information about the history of this dress online but I did what I always do before these Joey World Project posts and read up on each country featured and a take a lesson on history. I learned so much about Bulgaria wow! I did find a couple interesting facts about the country of Bulgaria that might be worth sharing. You’ll have to confirm for me Petia, but I read that Bulgarians shake their heads to mean yes and nod for when they mean no. Actually Joey does the same thing lately. She’ll shake her head when I offer her something to eat and then will gobble it right immediately afterwards. Maybe she’s part Bulgarian haha! Bulgaria is also the oldest country in Europe that hasn’t changed its name since it was first established. You go Bulgaria. This happened in 681 AD. Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was founded 7000 years ago and is claimed to be the second oldest city in Europe! Wow! This is probably a terrible representation of what is such a unique and colorful country but I’m so glad that I was able to get a little history lesson about Bulgaria and share with you what one of their beautiful traditional dresses looks like!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Aug 4, 2017 at 8:05am PDT

It’s been a while since I posted a #JoeyWorldProject entry and I’m so happy to finally have one from #Brazil! 🇧🇷 Thank you Maria for sending this adorable miniature #FestaJunina dress all the way from #RiodeJaneiro. To be honest, I didn’t expect to see this sort of a dress from Brazil. It sort of reminded me of a dress a farmer girl from the musical Oklahoma! would wear. 👩🏻‍🌾 This dress is actually worn at the Festa Junina which is a Brazilian festival that marks the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest. Visitors celebrate from mid-June until late August, dress up like farmers, enjoy bonfires and dance the #quadrilha. Quadrilha folk dances can involve up to 30 colorfully dressed performers! The dance was inspired by the 17th century French quadrilles, a type of traditional square dance but the Brazilian version is far more theatrical. I want to see it in person! Typically women wear their hair in pigtails, wear checkered dresses and paint freckles on their faces. I photoshopped blush and freckles on Joey’s face to complete the look and now she looks like a doll! Thank you again Maria for gifting us this beautiful piece of Brazilian culture and for teaching our family another unique part of Brazil’s traditions. O Brasil é lindo maravilhoso!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jul 31, 2017 at 8:14am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject costume was sent from our new friends Alona and Melania from #Ukraine. 🇺🇦 This makes the second costume from Ukraine! It is a little different from the other Ukrainian dress that Joey wore previously This one has a floral wreath or vinok on her head which Alona wrote symbolizes the sun which rises as well as happiness, peace, power, chastity, youth, glory and holiness. It is often made up of an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, and even twigs. I found out something new about the #vyshyvanka (embroidered top). History shows that the vyshyvanka was used as a talisman to protect the person wearing it and also to tell a story. Embroidery was used in vulnerable places on the garment where evil spirits could potentially enter the body: along the neckline, cuffs, shoulders, back and hem. The skirt-like belt that Joey is wearing is called a zapaska and it was a symbol of fertility for girls. Love that each country has various types of traditional wear. Thank you so much Alona for sending this beautiful outfit our way!

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jun 21, 2017 at 7:06am PDT

This beautiful traditional dress and headscarf is from our new friend Noor from #Kuwait! 🇰🇼 This colorful Kuwaiti dress or “thobe” is made of different types of fabrics such as silk, cotton, wool and linen. Most of these fabrics actually come from India! The dress is often characterized by bright colors and is worn frequently during the holidays and weddings. On special occasions, young girls wear a “bokhnaq,” which is a headscarf trimmed with gold sequins and embroidery. I love all the intricate embroidery on this dress. Thank you so much Noor for sending this beautiful piece of Kuwaiti culture to our family and also for sending the custom wooden plaque of Joey’s name in arabic! The writing is so beautiful and we absolutely love it! On a side note, thank you everyone who have written to us wanting to send us traditional wear from your countries. This #JoeyWorldProject has been teaching our family so much about different cultures and traditions that we never learned at school. It's been an honor to do this and I hope this little project somehow brings the world a little closer in love and understanding. 💕

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on Jun 19, 2017 at 7:30am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject dress comes from our new friend Natalie who is an Ohio native but now teaches in St. Petersburg, #Russia. 🇷🇺 She was so gracious to bring us this #sarafan from Russia. The sarafan is a long, trapezoidal traditional jumper dress that was worn as early as the 1400s in Russia! Most commonly they were ankle-length sleeveless summer dress on straps worn over a white undershirt with sleeves. If you look at #matryoshka dolls, traditionally the outer layer is a woman wearing a sarafan. Joey here is also wearing a beautiful #kokoshnik, a headdress worn to accompany the sarafan. It was primarily worn in the northern regions of Russia in the 16th to 19th centuries. The crest can be embroidered with pearls, gold work or simple appliqué, usually using plant and flower motifs. Fun fact: one of the costumes #PadméAmidala wore in Star Wars (the Gold Travel Costume) was inspired by the traditional Russian dress and the kokoshnik! Anybody remember it? By the way, isn’t it amazing how all of these countries' traditional wear are so unique from each other? It’s really fascinating that these costumes have lasted so many generations till even today. Thank you so much Natalie for gifting us this beautiful piece of Russian history. Hope we can meet next time you make it out to Los Angeles again! 😘

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 30, 2017 at 8:00am PDT

Today’s #JoeyWorldProject comes all the way from #CostaRica 🇨🇷 from our new friend Dana who lives in San Jose, Costa Rica. Costa Rica is made up of seven different provinces: San Jose, Cartago, Alajuela, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limon. Each province has its own unique variation of the traditional costumes for men and women. This particular dress was custom designed and made for Joey from a store called Tienda Paco in Guanacaste where Dana’s mother’s family is originally from. It has a ruffled blouse with a flowery shiny skirt (gola) that goes to the ankles. The skirt usually comes in very bright colors. The hair is typically worn in a braid with a flower. These outfits are usually worn at festivities, dances, cultural events and celebrations. I can just imagine how beautifully these skirts move when the women wear them to dance! Thank you so much Dana and Tienda Paco for gifting us this stunning dress. This skirt is EVERYTHING! The book about your national parks gave me a glimpse of how gorgeous Costa Rica and I’m so grateful to have it in our home library. I have many friends who visited Costa Rica and came back saying only the best things about this country so I’m excited to visit one day especially to see the outdoors and of course to try the famous coffee there. One of my favorite coffee shops here in Los Angeles area is @copa_vida who gets their coffee beans from Costa Rica so I’m already familiar with how delicious the coffee is…but still. I’ve got to get to Costa Rica one day soon and try it for myself! #puravida

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 22, 2017 at 8:16am PDT

Oh Canada! Today’s #JoeyWorldProject costume comes from our new friend Shipra & her baby Misha who live in #Toronto, #Canada! 🇨🇦Shipra, I LOVED the package you sent with the maple syrup, ketchup chips, chocolates and the Hortons cups. I especially loved your card and the cute illustration of how to dress her up in this impressive Royal Canadian Mounted Police (#RCMP) uniform. I tried to do my best with the gardening bee hat you sent. Hope it looks somewhat close to the mountie felt hat! Seeing this uniform reminded me of my happy memories visiting Toronto and Quebec when I was a kid and more recently Vancouver and Banff. It’s a country that I absolutely love. Not only is the nature view so breathtakingly beautiful but the people are the nicest I’ve ever encountered. Literally everyone we met was extremely friendly and helpful to us clueless travelers. We’ll never forget their hospitality and generosity. Although Canada doesn’t have a “national dress,” this RCMP uniform is the most recognized Canadian attire so I am so honored to have this in our world series. I know for sure we will be making our way up to Canada again with Joey. Hopefully this year as we got the Discovery Pass which will get us into all the national parks in Canada for free! (You can get one at parkscanada.gc.ca!) Btw, July 1st is a monumental day for Canada this year as they will be celebrating their 150th anniversary, the Sesquicentennial! I’ll be keeping my eye out on the happy celebrations! #ohcanada

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 19, 2017 at 7:23am PDT

Happy Norwegian Constitution Day! 🇳🇴 Today’s #JoeyWorldProject was put together with the help of my dear friend Maddie and her mother Victoria who lives in #Norway. Today is Norway’s Independence Day (May 17), also known as Constitution Day, syttende mai (“seventeenth May”), or #Nasjonaldagen (The National Day). The Constitution of Norway was signed on May 17, 1814 which declared Norway to be an independent kingdom from Sweden & Denmark. On this day every year all over Norway, children walk in celebratory parades. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. Wish I could see these parades in person! Maddie, take us to Norway soon! Thanks to her mother Victoria, we at least have a part of Norway with us in the form of this adorable miniature #bunad which is Norway’s national costume. These dresses come in a variety of colors, fabrics, embroidery and jewelry. Each represent different regions in Norway and traditionally you get a real bunad at the age of 14. If you are lucky you can inherit yours from your grandma or have one made by her! This bunad fit Joey so perfectly and I just want her to walk around everywhere in it ALWAYS. Thank you so much Maddie and Victoria. Happy Independence Day! #syttendemai #nasjonaldag #mittnorge #norge

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 17, 2017 at 3:20pm PDT

Happy Mother’s Day! I saved this #JoeyWorldProject costume from #Korea 🇰🇷 for today in honor of my sweet mother and mother-in-law who are both Korean. This beautiful #hanbok (#한복) was sent by Heather from @seoulfulfamily. Thank you so much Heather. We’re so thrilled to have this hanbok and hope it can be like an heirloom to be passed down after Joey! The hanbok dress typically consists of an upper garment called jeogori worn with a wraparound skirt called chima. It’s been said that the open arms of the jeogori represent the warmth and embrace of the Korean people while the voluminous skirts symbolize space and freedom. Hanboks come in different colors which represented different symbols and status in life back in the day. For instance the color red symbolized good fortune and wealth so the color was often used for women’s wedding garments. The color yellow represented the center of the universe, which was often worn by royalty. Indigo symbolized constancy, which was often used for the ladies of the court and court officials. Embroidery of plants, animals and other elements of nature also symbolized different meanings. For instance, peonies meant honor & wealth, lotus flowers meant nobility, and bats & pomegranates meant a desire for children. Joey here is wearing a gulle on her head which was worn by children ages 1-5 years old during the late Joseon period. She’s also wearing a gold ring and bracelet which my mother bought for Joey for her first birthday, which is a typical tradition for babies turning one in Korea. I’ve actually never worn a hanbok before but it fills my heart with joy seeing Joey in one. I'm itching for the day we can take Joey to visit Korea, my motherland, for the first time. I’m so glad I can share this image today for my dear mothers who I love so much. I love you mommies! #대한민국 #한복드레스

A post shared by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on May 14, 2017 at 7:16am PDT