A glorious combination of scholarship and art-work.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (or V&A as it is popularly known) is one of the great museums of applied and decorative arts. This year they launch an exhibition in honour of the Tokyo Olympics: Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk.
In conjunction with the exhibition, comes this magnificent book.
Edited by Anna Jackson, Keeper of the Asian Department at the V&A, this tome is certainly an exquisite edition to the well-stocked coffee table. But it is far more than that. Jackson has curated a collection of chapters from various experts, including herself, which expound on the history, semiotics, economics and sociology of the various garments known collectively as “kimono”. Examples of chapter headings include: Bridal Kimono from the Edo Period to the Present Day; Kimono Rental, Tourism and Sartorial Expression; and From Edo to Instagram: Kimono Fashion.
Jackson states in her opening chapter that the prevailing view of the kimono is that it remained static for centuries until Western influence changed it. She challenges this Euro-centric idea: “The aim of this book, and the exhibition it accompanies, is to counter this attitude and to present the kimono as a dynamic and fashionable item of dress.”
Through the history of the kimono in these pages is wrought also the history of Japanese trade, and changing socio-political structures, as well as the effect of Japanese culture on other countries going back several centuries. It also delves into the influence of the kimono on more contemporary designers such as Galliano and McQueen, and Japanese designers such as Issey Miyake and Kansai Yamamoto.
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk is a visual feast. Beautifully printed and bound, with over 300 pages in full colour, with an image on almost every page, and a wealth of fascinating information. It is incredible value. This will be an essential edition to the collection of any fashion scholar, art aficionado, history buff, Japanophile, or just a plain lover-of-books.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Distributed by: Bloomsbury Australia
Released: March 2020
RRP: $79.99 hardback
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