TOKYO (CNN) -- For fall/winter, designer Yuki Torii celebrates 15 years of designing kimonos. She says the longer she does them, the more fun it becomes.

Torii says kimonos are as modern today as when they were first worn in China centuries ago. But today they can be either comfortable, colorful and easy to wear or a fantastic formal way to dress.

"I asked 25 women -- some famous, some not -- but all of them my friends, to be in my show, go out on the runway," she says. "They're all working women, some are tall and some are short. And of course, I wanted to include different age groups, so many generations are represented."

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Torii says not all of her models have worn kimonos before.

"But others in the show have worn kimonos for years," she says.

The designer says putting on a kimono is a good way to change your mood, and it can give the feeling of slipping back into the past. With modern fabrics, it can be as comfortable as a bathrobe.

"The classic, traditional kimono, with all its detailing, sometimes frightens women," Torii says. "They're not sure exactly how to wear a kimono. So I try to push the idea that they should start simply, wear a kimono casually, and not get too bogged down with the traditional implications."

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Torii's kimono fabrics are mostly made of polyester fibers that are washable and won't wrinkle. Menswear patterns are often used.

"I like the idea of the contrast that you see when you put such a feminine wrap with beautiful sleeves in a pinstripe, for example," she says.

For accessories, Torii likes traditional wooden platform shoes, colorful paddle fans and clutches or small, decorated handbags.

But the ultimate accessory is the obi, the traditional sash around the waist.

"One of the joys of wearing a kimono is the way you play with the obi, especially the manner in which you tie it in back, and then of course, what the pattern and color will be," Torii says. "The obi can actually change the whole mood of the kimono. Tone on tone, mismatched patterns -- all of these things add up to chic strong looks."