The latest creation by Japanese fashion designer Tae Ashida is truly out of this world — a blue cardigan and short pants outfit she made for her country’s astronaut Naoko Yamazaki.
The US space shuttle Discovery blasted off with Yamazaki and two other female crew on board, bound for the International Space Station (ISS) on a historic mission that put more women in orbit than ever before.
Ahead of her departure, Yamazaki, 39, asked Ashida, daughter of Japanese fashion guru Jun Ashida, to design her work clothes for the 13-day space mission and she came up with a slim knit cardigan in light blue with navy blue shorts.
“As a female designer, I chose a design and color with a sense of grace ... so that she can feel at ease as she carries out a tough mission in a male-dominated, bleak atmosphere,” Ashida said.
“It’s like a dream come true to see my clothes worn in space,” said Ashida. “I’m looking forward to seeing her wear my design.”
Yamazaki also brought a miniature version of the traditional Japanese harp, known as a koto, to the station to play an ensemble with her countryman Soichi Noguchi, who has carried his Japanese flute to the station.
Yamazaki asked a Japanese musical instrument factory to make a miniature version of the koto, which usually measures about 1.8m, to meet the size limit for her space shuttle cabin luggage.
“The sound is quite different from that of an authentic one, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing her play the koto in space,” said instrument maker Kenzo Ogawa, who produced the mini harp.(AFP)
日本時裝設計師蘆田多惠的作品，果真只應天上有─她為自己的同胞，女太空人山崎直子，設計藍色羊毛衫加短褲的太空工作服。
美國發現號太空梭這次升空，是搭載山崎直子和另兩名女性太空人上國際太空站，成為史上將最多女性送上外太空的任務。
升空之前，三十九歲的山崎便商請服裝設計大師蘆田淳的女兒蘆田多惠，幫她設計這十三天太空任務要穿的工作服，於是蘆田多惠便想出這一套淡藍色針織羊毛衫與海軍藍短褲。
蘆田多惠說：「身為女性設計師，我選擇優雅的設計和顏色…讓她在以男性為主又陰暗的工作環境中，能感到舒適自在。」
蘆田多惠表示：「看到有人在外太空穿我設計的衣服，就像美夢成真似的。我期待看她穿我設計的衣服。」
山崎直子也帶了小型的日本傳統十三弦古箏上太空，準備與另一位帶著日本笛上太空的同胞野口聰一來一段合奏。
山崎直子特別商請樂器工廠替她打造這小型古箏，以便帶進太空梭。正常的十三弦古箏長度大約有一．八公尺。
製造這個迷你古箏的樂器師傅大川健三說：「這把古箏的聲音與正常古箏的聲音很不一樣，但我非常期待看到她在外太空彈奏這琴。」（法新社╱翻譯：吳岱璟）
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