KIMONO: KYOTO TO CATWALK

This exhibition explores the meaning of the kimono in global contexts from the 1660s to today. Visitors will get to see rare 17th- and 18th-century items, as well as high fashion examples by designers such as Thom Browne, Yohji Yamamoto, Yves Saint Laurent, Rei Kawakubo and John Galliano. The exhibition also muses on ways this mythical garment has been imagined by costume designers, displaying kimono worn in ‘Sanjūrō’ (1962), ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ (2005), and the Jean-Paul Gaultier ensemble worn by Madonna in her video for ‘Nothing Really Matters’ (1999). As this style continues to appeal to consumers – in new and vintage form – brands and retailers should take note.

February 29 – June 21, 2020 Victoria and Albert Museum, London www.vam.ac.uk