Photo: NY Times
Whether it’s a Kimono with polka dots or an anime character wearing bright clothes, the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York has displayed this Eastern tradition of remodeling traditional Japanese clothing.
“Usually, when you think of fashion, you think of big brands made in the Western world. But the kimono also had a fashion system going back to the 17th century,” stated Monika Bincsik, Diane and Arthur Abbey Associate Curator for Japanese Decorative arts at the museum.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s first-ever joint show with the Met’s Japanese Gallery and Costume Institute was an epic success, with over 60 kimonos on display.
Bincsik said, “The Japanese kimono had a big influence on Western fashion going back to the early 20th century.”
For instance, a kimono coat was created by French couturier Paul Poiret. Meanwhile, the bold geometric design in ‘Meisen’ kimonos of the early 1900s was based on Western abstract art.
The exhibit is on until February 20.
