Kimono Refashioned: the newest exhibition about the impact of Japanese Aesthetics 

I just love the kimonos. And the interesting pieces of Asian designers. Their clean and clever aesthetic. Therefore, I cannot wait to see the new exhibition at the Newark Museum, “Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now!”. This will showcase the impact of Japanese garments, textiles, design and aesthetics on global fashions created by designers such as John Galliano, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake.

Photo up –  Dressing Gown Kimono for Western Markets with Floral Motifs, Japan ca. 1910, late Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Yohji Yamamoto, Spring/Summer 1995 // Toshiko Yamawaki (Japanese, 1887–1960)

The exhibition “Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now!” – between  October 13, 2018-January 6, 2019, www.newarkmuseum.org.
Co-organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Newark Museum is the exclusive East Coast venue for this exhibition. 

Furisode Over-robe with Floral and Water Motifs, Japan, 19th century, late Edo

• Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now! will feature more than 40 garments by more than 30 Japanese, European and American designers.
• The exhibition features couture gowns, men’s wear, shoes and ready-to-wear joined by paintings, prints and textiles that reflect both exacting and impressionistic references to kimono – that piece that influenced global fashion since Japan opened to the world in the late 19th century.
• Featured designers include: Alessandro dell’Acqua for Rochas, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Iris van Herpen, Tom Ford for Gucci, Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, Issey Miyake and others.
• The first section of Kimono Refashioned displays oil paintings by William Merritt Chase and Jacques-Joseph James Tissot from the late 1800s as early examples of the influence of kimono. The next section accents Japonism in fashion from the late 19th century to the 1920s, when new garments were inspired by the motifs, shapes and cuts of kimono. The third and largest portion of the exhibition explores contemporary fashion and its use of kimono’s flatness and silhouette, along with cutting edge Japanese technologies–contemporary and historic–that were employed for weaving, dyeing and decorating textiles. The final section demonstrates how Japan continues to inspire the world of fashion through popular design, including manga and anime.

John Galliano, Autumn/Winter 1994 // Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons, Autumn/Winter 1991

Iris van Herpen, Haute Couture Collection, Autumn/Winter 2016 // Raf Simons, Spring/Summer 2015

Photography: www.newarkmuseum.org.

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