Kyoto to Catwalk

Image: Kimono Times, Akira Times, 2017. © Akira Times

The V&A has launched a series of five films to take viewers on a personal, 30-minute behind-the-scenes tour of its critically acclaimed exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk which had to close two weeks into its run. Captured as the museum was closing its doors, curator Anna Jackson guides viewers through the exhibition spaces, providing a personal insight into the making of the show, star exhibits and the history of the iconic garment.

Image: Kimono Times, Akira Times, 2017. © Akira Times

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores what is arguably the ultimate symbol of Japan. The kimono is often perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, but this exhibition counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion. The exhibition reveals the sartorial and social significance of the kimono from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and in the rest of the world. Rare 17th- and 18th-century kimono are displayed for the first time in the UK, together with fashion from international designers and iconic film and performance costumes. The kimono’s recent reinvention on the streets of Japan is also explored through work by an exciting new wave of contemporary designers and stylists.

Image: Album cover for Homogenic when Björk collaborated with designer Alexander McQueen, photographer Nick Knight. Image © Nick Knight © Alexander McQueen. Courtesy of One Little Indian Records.

Highlights of the exhibition include a kimono created by Living National Treasure Kunihiko Moriguchi, the Alexander McQueen dress designed for Björk and worn on the cover of her album Homogenic, and original Star Wars costumes modelled on kimono by John Mollo. Designs by Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano reveal the kimono’s role as a constant source of inspiration for fashion designers. Paintings, prints, dress accessories and other objects feature throughout the exhibition, providing additional context to the fascinating story of kimono’s style, appeal and influence. Almost 300 works are featured, including kimono specially made for the show, with half being drawn from the V&A’s superlative collections and the rest generously lent by museums and private collections in Britain, Europe, America and Japan.

Watch the films on the V&A’s YouTube channel.