Yumi Couture (formerly Y’s Designs) was founded in 2005 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Its founder and costume designer, Yumi Barnett-Nakamura, serves the growing market for more creative and personalized athletic costumes. Yumi uniquely combines ‘old world’ traditional techniques with modern stylistic sensibilities.
The Yumi Couture story unofficially began generations ago in Kyoto, Japan, the city of a thousand temples. Yumi’s family has been part of Kyoto’s long and rich history in textiles and garment making, including one of Japan’s most enduring cultural symbols, the kimono. Yumi has been influenced by a long line of kimono dressmakers, specializing in techniques that can take over forty years to master and are passed down from one generation to the next. Yumi brings this rich legacy to her handmade costumes. From the highest quality materials to her inspirational designs, she works with each athlete to bring their performances to life. Her focus reflects the kimono-making tradition by emphasizing quality, creativity, and precision.
