The Victoria & Albert Museum’s lauded kimono exhibition can now be enjoyed online.
Experiencing the kind of rotten luck that was all too common in spring 2020, V&A exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk had to shut down after just two weeks after the UK lockdown began. And whilst the museum was able to open up the exhibition once again in the autumn for a shortened run, it was all too short a lease for such a highly-anticipated show. Luckily, if you missed your chance to catch the show last year, they’ve kindly made it available to view online via a curator-guided tour. If you’re one of the many people who went wild for last year’s Dior exhibition, then the kimono show should be right up your street…
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Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk delves into the history of the kimono in Japan, dating all the way back to the 1600s. Today, a reinvention has seen the kimono become a popular stalwart in Japanese street culture, transformed from a regal garment into a fashion statement.
The exhibit casts a wide gaze over the history and significance of the kimono, using fashion, artwork, and objects to trace the evolution of the outfit over the 400-odd years it’s been worn. Everything from traditional Japanese woodblock prints to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s costume from Star Wars: A New Hope can be seen here. Meanwhile, the evolution of the kimono in modern times can be gleaned from exhibition artefacts such as an Alexander McQueen dress that was designed for Björk.
Pop over to the V&A’s YouTube channel to see the curator tour, but don’t be surprised if it prompts you to embark upon a wardrobe overhaul…