All public places, museums and galleries are closed.

While the UK is taking  all precautions to battle the spread of the Covit-19 pandemic, many public spaces are now closed, including galleries and museums, non-essential shops, fashion and electronic retail outlets.









Although I planned to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in Knightsbridge, London which was hosting a major exhibition on the Japanese national costume, entitled Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk until 21 June 2020, I decided not to do so in order to restrict my possible exposure to the virus in public places, and now with order of the prime minister we are all to stay at home.

However, I'm able to show here pictures sent from PR agency Totem Fashion, which was representing Yoshikimono, a partner of the V&A on this exhibition.

London’s iconic V&A has been collecting Japanese art and design since it was founded in 1852 and now holds one of the world’s most significant collections, including important holdings of Japanese textiles and dress.

A major focus of the exhibition, 

Japanese brand Yoshikimono founded by famous rock star Yoshiki,

 is a partner for the new exhibition on kimono in London.  The brand  was created 10 years ago by

 iconic Japanese rock star Yoshiki, the founder of 

rock band X Japan which has sold internationally more than 30 millions albums.

While the kimono is widely reconised as the ultimate symbol of Japan, perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, the new exhibition aims to counter this conception by presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.  
Over 315 works were being featured in the exhibition, including kimono especially made for the show, half drawn from the V&A’s superlative collections and the rest generously lent by museums and private collections in Britain, Europe, America and Japan.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk revealed the sartorial and social significance of the kimono from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and in the rest of the world.   Rare 17th and 18th century kimono were displayed for the first time in the UK, together with fashions by major designers and iconic film and performance costumes.

The kimono’s recent reinvention on the streets of Japan was also explored through work by an exciting new wave of contemporary designers and stylists.

Highlights of the exhibition included a kimono created by Living National Treasure Kunihiko Moriguchi, the dress designed for Björk by Alexander McQueen and worn on the album cover Homogenic, and original Star Wars costumes modelled on kimono by John Mollo and Trisha Biggar. Designs by Yves Saint Laurent, Rei Kawakubo and John Galliano were to reveal the kimono’s role as a constant source of inspiration for fashion designers.

Paintings, prints, film, dress accessories and other objects were featured throughout the exhibition as well, providing additional context to the fascinating story of the style, appeal and influence of the kimono.

Anna Jackson, curator of Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk at the V&A, commented: “From the sophisticated culture of 17^th -century Kyoto to the creativity of the contemporary catwalk, the kimono is unique in its aesthetic importance and cultural impact giving it a fascinating place within the story of fashion.”