Text/Susannah Clapp Compiled/Qian Xueer
Recently, the reopened Victoria and Albert Museum in London, "Kimono: From Kyoto to the Runway", presents the influence of Japanese kimono on European culture and the exchange between East and West. From ukiyo-e to modern films and fashion, the exhibition seeks to escape the impression that kimonos are regarded as historical heritage and works of art, allowing people to see the evolution of this traditional costume over time. The exhibition was originally opened on February 29 this year, but was suspended shortly after due to the epidemic, and the exhibition has been extended to October 25.
Royal Brocade Pattern, Utagawa Kunisada, 1847-1852, V&A
Kimonos are not what you think they are.
Kimono (きもの, kimono), also known as Wufu before the Edo period, was directly inherited from the characteristics of its blouse bottom, wide sleeves, wide clothes, and cross-collared right jaws, and directly inherited the shape of Chinese Hanfu and the Wudi costumes of the Six Dynasties, and spoke the "Ancient Chronicles", "Nihon Shoki", and "Matsuki Dream Language".
The Japanese word for kimono literally translates to "object," and once you know that, everything is different. It is no longer the kind of cherry blossom-covered costume that young girls wear like a butterfly chrysalis, but something that everyone can wear. Kimonos are changing all the time.
"Kimono: From Kyoto to the Runway" exhibition scene
Curated by Anna Jackson and Josephine Rout, the V&A-based exhibition was briefly opened before the quarantine period. The exhibition began with kimonos in the 17th century, when merchants were eager to show off their wealth, which contributed to the expansion of the textile industry; in recent years, kimonos have been newly exploited and transformed. You can see singer Björk wearing a kimono-inspired brocade dress by Alexander McQueen, or Madonna wearing a short kimono designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. British actor Alec Guinness, who was hesitant to star wars, was convinced when he saw sketches for Obi-Wan Kenobi's brown kimono.
Madonna in a modified kimono
Character Obi-Wan Kenobi's brown kimono
The exhibition aspires to dispel the cliché of kimono, namely that it is timeless beyond taste, change of times and commerce. The exhibition and catalogue emphasize that this costume has always been accompanied by celebrities and popular propaganda. Celebrity prostitutes were their early models: a series of woodcuts showed them eyeing the latest patterns and fabrics; prints of their kimonos appeared in both brothels and clothing stores. The costumes worn by the actors in the Kabuki theater have been actively studied and copied. Kabuki actor Sanokawa Ichimatsu wore a wide belt pattern in 1741 that is still named after him today.
The exhibition "Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk" (Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk) is a revelation. Embroidered or printed, the fabric has bold or delicate patterns, gorgeous and simple, soft and sparkling. Most importantly, it shows how a garment can record the history of a country. The ups and downs of Japan's foreign trade can be seen in the appearance of Indian printed cotton and French brocade in kimonos. The severity of the prohibition can be measured by the subtle gesture of contempt for it: a red dye forbidden for outer kimono is widely used in linings and underwear; a woodcut showing a woman flirting with a man, who raises the skirt slightly to reveal a little scarlet below.
"Standing Prostitute", Teng Chuan Chunhao, 1804-1818
Kimonos occasionally serve as a tool for recording history or propaganda. On a 20th-century men's fitting kimono, blue and white stripes are prominently printed, as well as images of cars and vans. By the late 1930s, as Japan expanded, a close-fitting kimono designed for baby boys had a clear military pattern: a battleship was riding the wind and waves, and fighter jets were hovering above.
Left: Kimono for baby boys, right: cloak designed by Pois Porje
For anyone who has been educated in Western dress, kimono is unsettling. Instead of highlighting or exaggerating the lines of the body, clinging to the chest or hips, it ignores them. The kimono is cut without curves, just a piece of cloth, a flat surface: shape is not the key element, the pattern, texture and color are. Next up is the issue of sleeves. They are not just appendages: they are essential and have their own expressiveness.
The Steps, Kiyoshi Kohayakawa, 1935
In this exhibition, you will find that the influence of kimono is profound and lasting. In the 1880s, when Europeans began to worry about the twists and squeezes caused by corsets, organizations such as the Rational Dress Society in Britain acquired another image of dress from the kimono. In the early 20th century, when corsets were shed, kimonos were assimilated by haute couture. Lady Duff-Gordon, who designed under the name Lucy, was known for escaping the Titanic in a lilac silk kimono and squirrel leather coat. Paul Poiret designed a wonderful dark yellow cloak that hung loosely from his shoulders and had a large bow next to it. A coat with black and white stripes may be from Emilie Flöge, who and her sister run a fashion shop in Vienna, but she may be better known as the companion of the painter Gustav Klimt and the protagonist of his famous work The Kiss.
Kimono produced in Japan for export, 1905-1915, V&A
The mesmerizing fabrics, ornate lines, intricate decentralized designs, and traditional display on bamboo poles make it easy to think that kimonos are works of art rather than costumes. To change this, the V&A Museum broke with tradition by placing some kimonos on top of mannequins and some kimonos on special mannequins, where the fabrics were slightly rolled up and the design began to take on a dynamic feel.
Kimono of a young woman, 1905-1920
The exhibition sees the kimono as an evolving form and places it in dramatic scenes, reinforced by the different sets and galleries. At the beginning of the exhibition, with the sound of water in the background, you can see screens and bamboo forests, and at the end, a futuristic garden paved with rubble comes into view. In addition, you will find a fusion of East and West in men's clothing. Thom Browne's 2015 grey suit showcases the traditions of Western clothing, but the costumes are covered with kimono motifs; rattan houses' professional suits take on a typical kimono shape, but are made from pinstriped worsted wool from West Yorkshire with a neckline and tie.
In the whole exhibition, the most spectacular ones are those of the 20th-century kimono. Rings, stripes, whirlpools, crosses, dots, these patterns are sometimes reminiscent of skyscrapers in the city, they occupy a circular hall of mirrors, against a strong purple, pink, orange and emerald green background, gorgeous costumes upside down in the mirror image, cloth like lightning.
The exhibition "Kimono: From Kyoto to the Runway" will run until October 25.
(This article is compiled from The Guardian)
Editor-in-Charge: Weihua Gu
Proofreader: Ding Xiao