Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk at V&A Traces Garment's Global History

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London presents 'Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk', a major exhibition of nearly 300 pieces tracing the kimono's evolution from 17th-century Japan to global fashion icon. The kimono, literally 'a thing to wear', began as a simple wrapped garment secured by an obi. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Kyoto became the center of high-end textile production, and Osaka exported kimonos to Europe via the Dutch East India Company in the late 1600s. By the 19th century, designers like Paul Poiret, Mariano Fortuny, and Madeleine Vionnet adopted its flowing form to liberate women's bodies. The show features kimono-inspired looks by Alexander McQueen, Duro Olowu, John Galliano for Dior, and Thom Browne, as well as McQueen's outfit for Björk's 'Homogenic' album cover, a piece owned by Freddie Mercury, Jean Paul Gaultier's ensemble for Madonna's 'Nothing Really Matters' video, and Star Wars costumes by John Mollo and Trisha Biggar. Curators Anna Jackson and Josephine Rout highlight the kimono's post-WWII decline as daily wear and its recent street-style revival among younger generations who mix vintage kimonos with sneakers and t-shirts. The exhibition runs until June 21, 2020, at the V&A.