Liberty Kimono
Kimono for a woman (kosode), 1850-90
The V&A bought this kimono from Liberty & Co in 1891. The London shop specialised in goods imported from Asia and did much to foster the fashion for the wearing of kimono. For most, the garment suggested luxury and non-conformity. It could also hint at the supposed eroticism of the East. For those advocating dress reform, however, the kimono offered inspiration for a style of clothing free of restrictive corsets.
[V&A]
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
(February to October 2020)
This exhibition will present the kimono as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion, revealing the sartorial, aesthetic and social significance of the garment from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and the rest of the world.
The ultimate symbol of Japan, the kimono is often perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging. Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, the UK's first major exhibition on kimono, counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.
[V&A]
Liberty Kimono
Kimono for a woman (kosode), 1850-90
The V&A bought this kimono from Liberty & Co in 1891. The London shop specialised in goods imported from Asia and did much to foster the fashion for the wearing of kimono. For most, the garment suggested luxury and non-conformity. It could also hint at the supposed eroticism of the East. For those advocating dress reform, however, the kimono offered inspiration for a style of clothing free of restrictive corsets.
[V&A]
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
(February to October 2020)
This exhibition will present the kimono as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion, revealing the sartorial, aesthetic and social significance of the garment from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and the rest of the world.
The ultimate symbol of Japan, the kimono is often perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging. Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, the UK's first major exhibition on kimono, counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.
[V&A]