I Got a Sneak Peek of the New Kimono Exhibit at The Met… and Was Gobsmacked by What I Learned About This Simple Garment
The new exhibit at The Met, which opens TODAY, walks us through the kimono's origin story, how it influenced designers like Balenciaga (and more!), and offers us some history on women in Japan...
You don’t have to be an expert in fashion to recognize this:
Over robe (uchikake) with wisteria and waves. Edo period (1615–1868), early 19th century. Figured satin-weave silk (rinzu) with tie-dyeing, silk embroidery, and couched gold thread, 645⁄8 × 483⁄8 in. (164.1 × 122.9 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection.
But did you know the kimono — that iconic Japanese T-shaped garment — inspired some of the most famous fashion designers in the world?
Evening wrap, House of Balenciaga (French, founded 1937), Cristobal Balenciaga (Spanish, 1895–1972). 1951. Silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Baroness Philippe de Rothschild, 1973 (1973.21.3). Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cristóbal Balenciaga. Madeleine Vionnet. Paul Poiret. To name a few.
A new exhibition on Kimono fashion opens at The Metropolitan Museum of Art today.
Credit: Photo by Bruce Schwarz, Courtesy of The Met
More than 60 kimonos from the late 18th to early 20th century are on display…
Credit: Photo by Bruce Schwarz, Courtesy of The Met
alongside Japanese art…
Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide (1807–1878/79). Banner with Shōki, the Demon Queller. Edo period (1615–1868), 1840s. Ink and color on cotton. 68 1/8 x 37 3/8 in. (173 × 95 cm). John C. Weber Collection. Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by Paul Lachenauer.
decorative objects…
Cosmetic stand (kushi-dai) with pine, bamboo, and cherry blossom from a wedding set. Edo period (1615–1868), early 19th century. Lacquered wood with gold, silver takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, cut-out gold foil application on nashiji ground. H. 10 5/8 in. (27 cm); W. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); D. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1910 (10.7.8a–q). Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
and Western couture.
"UKIYOE," Hanae Mori (Japanese, born 1926). Fall/winter 1983–84. Silk, glass. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Hanae Mori, 2004 (2004.467.4) Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
I got a sneak peek last week… and was gobsmacked by what I learned about this simple garment.
Here are 10 most interesting details about the kimono, taken from my conversation with the exhibition’s curator, Monica Bincsik:
1. The Japanese developed the kimono in the 16th century based on Chinese and Korean garments. What defines a kimono is that it is made from a single bolt of fabric (so you don’t waste any of it) and has a T shape with straight lines. It was originally an undergarment.
Summer robe (katabira) with kemari balls and willow. Edo period (1615–1868), late 18th–early 19th century. Plain-weave ramie with paste-resist dyeing, stencil-dyed dots (suri-bitta), hand-painted details, and couched gold thread, 57 × 48 in. (144.8 × 121.9 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection.
2. The kimono was also sustainable. Cotton was hard to grow, especially in the northern part of Japan, so the Japanese bought used cotton clothing from Osaka and repurposed it. Commoners wore kimonos made of cotton and hemp.
Summer kimono (katabira) with blades of grass and dewdrops. Taishō (1912–26)–Shōwa (1926–89) period, 1920s–30s. Printed plain-weave hemp with twisted wefts, couched silver thread, 591⁄8 × 491⁄4 in. (150 × 125 cm). Promised Gift of John C. Weber.
3. In medieval times, aristocrats and high-ranking samurai donated kimonos to actors because the garments were so expensive. They were all handmade using high-quality silk and real silver and gold foil. The actors performed by candlelight and the gold and silver picked up the candlelight beautifully.
Noh costume (nuihaku) with orchids and interlinked circles. Edo period (1615–1868), 18th century. Plain-weave silk with gold- and silver-leaf application and silk embroidery, 597⁄8 × 531⁄8 in. (152 × 135 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection.
4. Firefighters, who were held in high regard in Japan, wore kimonos to fight fires. And there were many fires in Japan because of the sheer number of wooden structures.
Daimyo firefighter’s ensemble (kaji shōzoku) for samurai woman. Edo period (1615–1868), first half of 19th century. Wool (rasha) with satin-weave silk appliqué and silk- and gold-thread embroidery, lining of satin-weave silk; jacket: 38 × 48 in. (96.5 × 121.9 cm); hood: 361⁄2 × 23 in. (92.7 × 58.4 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection
5. Each kimono tells a story. Women’s history was not recorded in the Edo period (1603-1867); there are no books featuring women during this time. For instance, a red wedding kimono with wisteria was a sign that the wedding took place in May, since that is the month wisteria blooms in Japan.
Over robe (uchikake) with wisteria and waves. Edo period (1615–1868), early 19th century. Figured satin-weave silk (rinzu) with tie-dyeing, silk embroidery, and couched gold thread, 645⁄8 × 483⁄8 in. (164.1 × 122.9 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection.
6. European designers, like Paul Poiret and Madeline Vionnet, were fascinated by the forgiving cut of the kimono. They made garments inspired by the kimono at a time when women were trying to free themselves from the corset.
fig. 26 Paul Poiret (French, 1879–1944). “Paris” opera coat, 1919. Silk, wool, metallic thread. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2005 (2005.207).
7. And the Japanese were quick to adapt to new American trends... like polka dots...
Meisen kimono with water droplets. Shōwa period (1926–89), ca. 1930–40. Plain-weave reeled-silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in double ikat (heiyō-gasuri). 59 x 49 1/4 in. (149.9 x 125.1 cm). Promised Gift of John C. Weber. Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by Paul Lachenauer.
And Mickey Mouse.
Child’s winter kimono with Mickey Mouse. Shōwa period (1926–89), ca. 1930s. Plain-weave cotton with roller printing, 351⁄2 × 351⁄2 in. (90 × 90 cm). Promised Gift of John C. Weber.
8. Charles James, one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century, made a coat for his baby based on the kimono.
Coat, Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978). 1956. Wool, cotton. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. John de Menil, 1957. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
9. If you bought a kimono in the 17th century, in five years it was out of fashion. You might think of the kimono as an unchanging garment because the shape itself hasn’t changed much. But the fabrics and the colors did.
Over robe (uchikake) with Mount Hōrai. Edo period (1615– 1868), mid-19th century. Figured satin-weave silk (rinzu) with paste-resist dyeing, stencil-dyed dots (suri-bitta), silk embroidery, and couched gold and silver thread, 66 × 49 in. (167.6 × 124.5 cm). Lent by John C. Weber Collection.
10. Part of the reason why the kimono has endured is because its simple shape allowed fashion designers to be creative in other areas.
Left: Madeleine Vionnet (French, 1876–1975). Dress, 1923–24. Silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Trust Gift, 2020 (2020.159). Right: Callot Soeurs (French, active 1895–1937). Evening dress, 1928–29. Silk, metal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2019 (2019.52)
Left: Illustration of the Paquin opera coat from La Gazette du Bon Ton 1 (1912–13), pl. VII. Right: Mme. Jeanne Paquin (French, 1869–1936), House of Paquin (French, 1891–1956). Opera coat, 1912. Silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Edwin Stewart Wheeler, 1956 (C.I.X.56.2.1)