Explore traditional Noh and Kogen costume, intricately decorated kimono worn by samurai and merchants during the Edo period, early examples of Western influence in the styles of the late nineteenth-century, and Japanese modernist fashion from the early twentieth-century. Additionally, the exhibition features key pieces by fashion innovators Issey Miyake and John Galliano, contemporary creative Hiroko Takahashi and bold Harajuku street fashions.

Alongside unique examples of kimono and kimono inspired costume the exhibition features paintings, posters, wood block prints, magazines and decorative arts that contextualise the themes of the kimono story. It presents the diverse skills mastered by traditional artisans including shibori tie dye, rice paste resist designs and indigo blue dyeing, and highlights the numerous materials used for textile production throughout Japanese history, including silk, cotton, metallic thread, paper, elm bark, banana tree fibre and deer leather.

Kimono Exhibition
Until 5 October 2025
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
www.ngv.vic.gov.au