Exhibition On now until Sunday, 21 June 2020

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

Closed until further notice

Tickets available soonPlan a visit

  • On now until Sunday, 21 June 2020

  • Closed until further notice

  • Gallery 39 and the North Court

    More information about the closure

  • Tickets available soon

    Variable ticket pricing applies between 8 – 21 June

Exhibitions are free for Members – join now

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.

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Exhibition Highlights

Outer-kimono for a young woman (uchikake), 1800 – 30, probably Kyoto, Japan. © Image Courtesy of the Joshibi University of Art and Design Art Museum, 2204-36.
Fashionable brocade patterns of the Imperial Palace, woodblock print, made by Utagawa Kunisada, 1847-1852, Japan. Museum no. Circ.636 to Circ. 638– 1962. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Kimono ensemble, HIROCOLEDGE by Hiroko Takahashi, 2009 Japan. .
Wrap coat, designed by Duro Olowu, Autumn/Winter 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.
Hanging scroll featuring a woman coming down the stairs.
'Kaidan' ( staircase), hanging scroll, by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi, 1935, Japan. © Levenson Collection.
Kimono for export, probably Kyoto, Japan, 1905-15. Museum no. FE.46-2018. © 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
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.165-1967. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Standing courtesan, colour print from woodblocks, 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.

Events

Features

V&A shop

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

This book features kimono and kimono-inspired garments from the V&A and collections around the world, revealing its influence and examining the ways in which fashion designers have reworked its legacy.

£35.00 Buy
Japanese cranes denim sculptural top

Japanese cranes denim sculptural top

Inspired by the simple and classic aesthetic of Japanese fashions in our V&A collections, this stylised, oversized tunic top is crafted from high quality, heavy weight cotton denim fabric and is made in Japan.

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Textiles of Japan

Textiles of Japan

From rugged Japanese firemen’s ceremonial robes and austere rural work-wear to colourful, delicately-patterned cotton kimonos, this lavishly illustrated volume explores Japan’s rich tradition of textiles.

£75.00 Buy
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
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Background image: KIMONO Times, Akira Times, 2017. © Akira Times