Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
This exhibition presented 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.
This exhibition is now closed at V&A South Kensington
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Exhibition highlights
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Outer-kimono for a young woman (uchikake), 1800 – 30, probably Kyoto, Japan. © Image Courtesy of the Joshibi University of Art and Design Art Museum -
Woodblock print, by Utagawa Kunisada I, 1847 – 1852, Japan. Museum no. CIRC.638-1962. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Kimono ensemble, HIROCOLEDGE by Hiroko Takahashi, 2009, Japan. © Image courtesy of Hiroko Takahashi -
Wrap coat, by Duro Olowu, 2015, England. © Duro Olowu -
Kimono for a young woman (furisode), 1905 – 20, probably Kyoto, Japan. © Khalili Collection, K106 -
Anna Elizabeth van Reede, by Gerard Hoet, 1678, Netherlands. © Slot Zuylen -
'Kaidan' (staircase) hanging scroll, by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi, 1935, Japan. © Levenson Collection -
Robe with sash, 1905 – 15, probably Kyoto, Japan. Museum no. FE.46:1, 2-2018. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Costume for Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness (1914-2000) in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, designed by John Mollo, 1977, USA. © LucasFilms Ltd -
'Beyond', kimono, designed by Moriguchi Kunihiko, 2005, Japan. © Moriguchi Kunihiko -
Mantle, designed by Paul Poiret, about 1913, Paris. Museum no. T.165&A-1967. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Woodblock print, Katsukawa Shunsen, 1804 – 18, Japan. Museum no. E.12564-1886. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Vanity case in the shape of an inro, Cartier, photograph by Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection. © Cartier
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Features

Inside the Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition
Take a look inside the UK's first major exhibition on kimono

Styling the kimono: Akira Times
Meet Akira Times, a contemporary kimono image maker in a panda hat

Kimono inspired by the 'street': Jotaro Saito
Discover how kimono designer, Jotaro Saito, blends 'street' inspired patterns with traditional techniques

Kimono for a courtesan?
Explore the theatrical motif on this highly decorative outer kimono

Kimono
Discover the rich symbolism in traditional Japanese dress

Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e)
Known as 'ukiyo-e', these hugely popular woodblock prints depict everyday life in Japan during the Edo period
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
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Header image: KIMONO Times, Akira Times, 2017. © Akira Times