Paris exhibition explores kimono, from Japanese icon to global trend
, 2022-12-10 11:06:30,
Whether it’s adorning samurais and geishas or pop stars and haute couture designers, the kimono is not just a traditional costume but a dynamic piece of fashion. A new exhibition at Paris’ Quai Branly Museum highlights how the iconic Japanese garment has transcended categories and cultures.
The Kimono exhibition, which first appeared at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2020, aims to revisit the history of the outfit.
“I think in the West particularly, we don’t really have a very full understanding of what kimono is. We tend to see it as a sort of timeless, traditional costume,” Anna Jackson, chief curator of the Asia department at the V&A, told RFI.
“In fact, the kimono has always been a very dynamic item of fashion.”
‘Thing to wear’
Literally named “thing to wear”, the kimono appeared more than a thousand years ago in Japan.
By the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868), it was worn throughout the country.
The merchant class contributed to the increase in its production, while the samurai warrior class wore the most luxurious ones.
“The kimono has got quite a long history in Japan, but from the 17th century, it was the principle item of dress for everyone in Japan, regardless of their gender or their social status,” Jackson said.
“In Western aesthetics, we tend to think of our clothes as either concealing or emphasizing particular parts of the body, even for men as much as for…
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