'Introducing Kimono as fashion' at the Met in New York

STORY: Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

A new exhibition explores styles of the kimono

It traces the transformation of fashion in modern Japan

from the late Edo period through to the early 20th century

More than 60 kimonos are on display

[Monika Bincsik, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]

"Usually when you think of fashion, you think of big brands made in the Western world. But kimono also had a fashion system going back to the 17th century. So I hope that this exhibition, the Kimonos juxtaposed with Western Couture, will emphasize the fashion aspect of the kimono.”

“In the 17th, 18th century, silk was very precious, so only high-ranking samurai ladies or wealthy merchant class ladies had access to good quality silk kimonos. Then, in the Meiji period, at the end of the 19th century, Japan opened its border to the west. Western techniques came to Japan, and it became possible to create less expensive kimonos. And ‘Meisen’ was produced from the 1920s, from relatively inexpensive silk, from pre-dyed yarn with a technique called Ikat."

'Kimono Style: The John C. Weber Collection'

runs until February 20, 2023