The V&A has gotten very good at large scale fashion exhibitions, and Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, it’s latest offering is no exception. My interest in Japan began when I read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden many years ago. I now find myself increasingly interested in the culture of this fascinating country. Japan has been high on my travel wish list for some time. I suspect this exhibition has just notched it a little higher up on my list!
So what is the exhibition all about? Well, largely this is a historical celebration of the role kimono has played in Japans cultural history and the perpetual influence it has had on clothing and fashion right up until the present day.
“This exhibition presents 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 exhibition begins in a tradition loved by many museums, beautiful pieces shown in display cabinets. However, the calming green rooms with ancient kimono displayed in traditional glass cases at the beginning are gradually replaced. Bright red vibrant rooms, gentle pink rooms and in one small but tall room the walls are completely covered in mirrors. Here some of the most dazzling kimono are displayed. The mirrors allows them to be visible in triplicate, and viewed from many angles. All this culminates in a grand finale of a display. A large white room houses a wonderful array of contemporary kimono which seem to almost dance gracefully through the space such is their placement and flow.
If you want to learn and be informed there is much to read and watch including short films showing the creation of a kimono. Which Incidentally is made mostly from one piece of fabric with clever cutting and folding to make a seamlessly flowing garment. Pattern is hugely important and the motifs and design are filled with symbolism and meaning, making this more than just a piece of clothing. Traditionally the wearer of a kimono would be communicating something about their personality, personal wealth or attributes. They often have seasonal significance too with nature and flowers regularly featuring. Symbols embroiled into the kimono will often allude to a particular song or poem and have a meaning beyond the symbol itself.
If you prefer to just look and be drawn into the colour and detail of the garments then there is so much to enjoy. I think we all know that celebrity is not a recent phenomenon. It seems even in ancient Japan celebrity status was demonstrated in the clothing of those who wore them. There are some fabulous ‘rich’ kimono on display, many demonstrating the wealth and power of the courtesans who wore them. Thick luxurious and padded silks, technicolour linings and yards of expensive fabric goes into making these incredible garments.
Costumes from Films such as Star wars where the Kimono has been utilised are also on display beside animated footage.
Kimono means ‘the thing to wear’ and I came away from this exhibition feeling very much that a Kimono in all it’s glorious detail and colour really is the thing to wear
Japan is having moment right now and Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk is a glorious celebration of an integral part of of the country’s culture and heritage. If you enjoy fashion, colour, beautiful fabrics, and have even a modicum of interest in Japan then I guarantee you will enjoy this delicious display.
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk is exhibiting at the V&A from now until 21st June.
