Kimono : Kyoto to catwalk at the V&A Museum now

On 29 February, the V&A Museum in Kensington opens Europe’s first major exhibition on kimono. The ultimate symbol of Japan, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk presents the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.
The exhibition reveals the sartorial and social significance of the kimono from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and in the rest of the world.

Rare 17th and 18th century kimono are displayed for the first time in the UK, together with fashions by major designers and iconic film and performance costumes in a stunning collection which any fashion fan will be truly absorbed by.

The kimono’s recent reinvention on the streets of Japan is also explored through work by an exciting new wave of contemporary designers and stylists.
Highlights of the exhibition include the dress designed for Björk by Alexander McQueen and worn on the album cover Homogenic, and original Star Wars costumes modelled on kimono by John Mollo and Trisha Biggar.

Designs by Yves Saint Laurent, Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake and John Galliano reveal the kimono’s role as a constant source of inspiration for fashion designers.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk begins in the mid-17th century when a vibrant fashion culture emerged in Japan. The increasingly wealthy merchant classes demanded the latest styles to express their affluence, confidence and taste, while leading actors and famous courtesans were the trend-setters of the day. The simple structure of the kimono focused attention on the surface, allowing for the creation of sumptuous patterns using sophisticated techniques. The first section of the exhibition explores these designs and shines a light on a fashion-conscious society not dissimilar to today’s, in which desire for the latest look was fed by a cult of celebrity and encouraged by makers, sellers and publishers.

Kimono were first exported to Europe in the mid-17th century, where they had an immediate impact on clothing styles. Seamstresses began to replicate their own versions in Europe while European fabrics were exported to Japan in a cross cultural exchange. In the 19th century the Liberty store was a prime importer of the Kimono in London and in the 20th and 21st centuries catwalk designers continue to find inspiration in this simple but lavishly adorned garment.

Kimono : Kyoto to Catwalk runs from Feb 29th to June 21st 2020. The exhibition sponsors are MUFG, GRoW @Annenberg, Shiseido and Yoshikimono.

A 2019 traditional Kimono by Japanese designer Jotaro Saito and a Western inspired creation by John Galliano for Dior from 2007 at the V&A London

 

Kyoto around 1800, Kimono are constructed with minimal cutting from a single bolt of cloth

 

Gold and silver threads were often used as well as decorative silks for embroidery – Kyoto 1800-50

 

This probably belonged to a high ranking Courtesan in Kyoto around 1860-80 they were the celebrities of their day in Japan

 

Boys kimono’s began to depict modern achievements in the 20th century, this depicts the first flight between Tokyo and London in 1937

 

 

Stunning Japanese inspired coat believed to be by Emilie Floge in Vienna 1920-1930. She was a designer and friend of artist Gustav Klimt who collected Japanese art

 

Yves Saint Laurent dress for the Dior collaboration with Japanese store Salon Daimaru Dior with a padded skirt inspired by the padded style of outerwear robes, made in Kyoto 1958

 

John Galliano for Dior summer 2007 Haute Couture tailored gown with embellishment

 

Issey Miyake for Pleats Please in 2016 as an homage to artist Ikko Tanaka

 

Costume for Star Wars 111 – Revenge of the Sith, for Trisha Biggar the gold fabric is woven with the Japanese arrow pattern a common motif for a young woman in Japan

All photos Smudgetikka – all rights reserved

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