From modest housecoat to rich ceremonial garment, alluring outfit for listless geishas
to warrior uniform for hard-faced samurai, the kimono is nothing if not versatile. An
exhibition showcasing every aspect of the garment is currently on in Paris in
response to the resurgence in its popularity.
This ultimate symbol of Japan, the embodiment of national culture and sensibility,
has become a sought-after item on a global scale since the 18 th century. As of 1650
and the advent of the Edo period, Japan effectively closed itself off from the rest of
the world. It was forbidden to travel there, to trade, or even to call at its ports, a
privilege granted exclusively to Dutch merchants and only as of the 18 th century.
Once there, they discovered the true richness of the kimono, an everyday Japanese
garment worn by men and women alike that could also, in its highly decorated silk
versions, be worn as court dress. They exported the garment to the West, where men
of letters, initially, were finally able to wear this precursor to homewear, a much less
dull alternative to their traditional dressing gowns.
Comprising 8 strips of fabric assembled together, the kimono can be adorned with a
thousand precious decorative pieces using the yùzen technique of applying a rice
paste to resist-dye the fabric.
It was an immediate hit among Europe’s higher social classes, so much so that the
Japanese were unable to keep up with this growing foreign demand. Never short of
ideas, however, the Dutch merchants started to have them produced in India—the
first of multiple outsourcing initiatives! The arrival of the 19 th century saw the
popularity of the kimono really soar in the West, heralding several waves of Japonism
and a taste for the exotic in general.
“The kimono is symbolic of a Japan that influences the world and allows itself
to be influenced by the same”— Emmanuel Kasarhérou, President, musée du quai
Branly — Jacques Chirac
Organised in conjunction with London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, the exhibition at
the musée du quai Branly has chosen to demystify this cult garment. Far from seeing
it as a timeless and unchangeable piece, the curators (Anna Jackson and Josephine
Rout) have chosen to highlight its fluidity, its ability to adapt to the fashion world and
its appeal beyond its culture of origin. Worn as something of a standard or a symbol
of guilty indolence, whether cultural, religious or simply practical, this icon of Japan
demonstrates its ability to influence the world in allowing itself to be influenced by the
same.
This spectacular display features nearly 200 truly extraordinary kimonos, from pieces
by Paul Poiret to those of Yohji Yamamoto and John Galliano, from the unique model
created by Kunihiko Moriguchi, a ‘living national treasure’ in Japan, to the original
Star Wars costumes by Trisha Biggar.
It’s also worth noting that Japan is now witnessing a real resurgence of this
enveloping and endearing garment— something Esmod Tokyo students are seeing
on a daily basis, firstly out on the street, where young designers who have become
tired of the constant changes in Western fashion are stylising old kimonos, and also
in the emergence of a new wave of designers who are appropriating the kimono in
innovative and sometimes subversive ways. They are all turning the kimono into a
dynamic piece of fashion that’s a far cry from its traditional roots.
Kimono: Until 28 May 2023, musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. 37 Quai
Branly, 75007 Paris.
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