Madame Ichisumi

Madame Ichisumi likes to say she was a geisha of the highest order, a geisha of the Gion Kobu. Her history is much cloudier and she doesn’t remember all of it, but it’s certain she had never been a high-standing geisha—pursuing that vocation was too challenging in this modern era. Instead, she was a hostess, a rich man’s mistress, and briefly, an accountant when her lover had abandoned her briefly because of his wife’s complaints. Now that her lover has passed, she is the mamasan of a high end hostess club.

The hostesses find her dramatic stories amusing; the foreign businessmen eat them up. She tells of serving tea to diplomats and billionaires, of dancing before kings and playing the shamisen before presidents. As she deftly passes drinks to the patrons, she weaves tales of intrigue and reenacts dramas that turn on nuanced cultural twists. As she introduces hostesses to patrons, she employs the art of careful and subtle negotiation and pairing; she is a skillful matchmaker despite her dramatic mien, which is what makes her such a great mamasan. Lighting a cigarette, asking a patron about his work, choosing a selection on the karaoke–each is a gentle social nudge to encourage the patrons to drink, smoke, spend, and enjoy themselves.

She insists on being called “Madame” Ichisumi, not “Mamasan,” as a signal to her mostly western clientele, and she will never engage with them outside of professional contexts. (In fact, no one quite knows where she goes when she leaves early in the morning after work.) She always dresses elegantly and dramatically as befits her role. Wearing a dress from RFB Morpork, she is the epitome of elegance and drama. With its long sheath with prims swirling about her like a flight of birds, it well represents the kind of woman Madame is—beautiful, dramatic and also mysterious.

Her hair is always put up in an intricate and studied assemblage much as a geisha’s might be. This one from Tabata Jewell, also includes texture-change fans which Madame chose to forgo. Her makeup is always carefully applied, accenting her dark eyes and beautiful lips. This look comes courtesy of Lara Hurley with a softly blushing facade and beauty mark.

It always seems she picks up a phone and what she wants is there, anytime, any place. She needs 30 year-old Macallan for a patron, it’s there. One of the hostesses ripped her skirt? A tailor arrives within minutes. Madame fretted over her look this evening. It needed earrings. So she lifted the phone, dialed her friend Kikunosuke Eel, and after a brief conversation and a short time, a messenger arrived with lotus earrings. She gasped and wore them instantly.

Oct Oakleaf also stopped by that evening with a box specially wrapped for her. She opened it to reveal these exquisite slingbacks. As he kneeled down and slipped them on her feet, he showed her how the hud allowed her to change the lace insets. She smiled down at him, admiring her lovely feet, pointing the shoes this way and that. He was pleased as was she. He smiled and squeezed her hand as she left. “You’re more than welcome, my cherry blossom.”

“In the cherry blossom’s shade
there’s no such thing
as a stranger.”
— Kobayashi Issa

Hair: Vanity Hair: Shizuka-Noir by Tabata Jewell for Vanity Hair

Skin: Lara Hurley-Dessa for Platinum Hunt by Lara Hurley for Lara Hurley Skin, available in the Platinum Hunt *

Shape: Fluke Shapes – Jia Li by GM Nikolaidis for Fluke * (modified)

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: Paris Metro: Take Flight Red & Black Bird by RFB Morpork for Paris Metro *

Earrings: *[MANDALA] Lotus Earring /RED bright by Kikunosuke Eel for [MANDALA] *

Shoes: +ADDiCTIA+ ELECTRO Stilettos – Lava Red by Oct Oakleaf for +ADDiCTIA+ *

Thank you for the inspiration, AC ;)