Asagao, or Morning Glory, means 'Morning Face' in Japanese because it blooms every morning. It's a Summer flower, and is more heavily associated with the late Summer months like August and September.

I decided to place my Asagao-Hime in the Showa Period (1926-1989), in particular the 1970s. After Japan lost the war, kimono fell out of favor because the garment held nationalistic undertones, and no one wanted to be associated with that. It wasn't until later in the 60s-70s that kimono started becoming popular to wear again, but only as formal clothing. Within the Showa Period, kimono went from everyday wear to formal wear, only worn once or twice a year. By this time, few women knew how to wear a kimono properly or comfortably. A whole generation of women didn't know what to do with their National Costume, and Kitsuke Shops (Kimono Dressing) popped up everywhere along with Kitsuke Schools. The designs on kimono changed, too. While the kimono of the previous era still followed seasonal and monthly trends, with bold statement-making designs, modern kimono generally had a plethora of small flowers from ever season and really had no general idea or statement in the design. The kimono of the 70s were meant to be worn year-round with a design that can function in any situation, and I personally dislike them. I think by making the formal kimono so functional, it lost it's appeal. I think the only women who wore kimono fashionably in the 70s were the Geisha, especially when they started wearing the delicate pastels and pale-on-pale ensembles. Kimono was also worn well by Kimono experts and followers of traditional pursuits like Tea Ceremony and Flower Arrangement. But for the vast majority, kimono largely weren't that fashionable in my opinion. Most women of the era looked much better in Yofuku, or Western Fashions. So, I designed my princess to be fashionable by the new standards, with henna-dyed hair worn in the loose 70s fashion.

The Morning Glory flower is a type of vine which grows rapidly over numerous surfaces (and when introduced to other ecosystems, generally becomes an invasive weed). So, when I considered this, I thought that to mimic that behavior in my princess (the growing and covering, not invasive part), I thought of a new mother, a woman who was so in love with her new child and still so unsure that she never let her child down. This fit in very well with a Shinto Ceremony called O-Miyamairi, in which 20 days after the child is born, s/he is brought to a Shinto Shrine while covered in a special kimono to be blessed. I think it all worked out rather well.

Hime Series-
Sakura Hime-[link]
Kiku Hime-[link]
Fuji Hime-[link]
Ajisai Hime-[link]
Botan Hime-[link]
Ayame Hime-[link]
Ume Hime- [link]
Tsubaki Hime- [link]