New fashion “orientations”: the tailoring of kimono in Parisian, African, and Indian dress designs

Abstract

Kimono, in many regards, invites transformation. Whether it is a fiber, woven cloth, fashion statement, or cultural material, from the first steps of its conception until its consumption, kimono is naturally an agency infused with the possibility of change, which has different modalities. Created by Japanese designers for a Japanese audience, the kimono retains its key characteristics while addressing new trends and demands. Outside of Japan it found territories where it thrives as a malleable, fashionable item. As a result, a variety of non-Japanese designers reimagined and customized the kimono, seeing its sleeves, colors, surfaces, and material dimensions negotiated through many variables. The first examples examined in this article are the kimono designs of Vitali Babani, created in Paris during the “peak” of Japonisme (1900s to 1930s). The second category is the kimono tailored with African wax and kanga fabrics, as developed by the contemporary brands WAfrica, Lezele, and Über Dandy Kimono. A third example, using the specific kimono dyeing technique of Kyō-Yūzen, will be discussed for its inclusion of the kimono unique palette of motifs and colors into the aesthetic of the Indian sari. These three tendencies, varying in their time and material characteristics, provide a rich terrain to discuss the “Japaneseness” of the kimono outside Japan. They also provide perspectives on how kimono has been negotiated to be a garment that goes on real bodies as well as on media platforms. This article analyzes these three categories of kimono “orientations” by first looking at how these design practices work materially, with a focus on the type of textile bricolage that is at work. Secondly, it explores how the designs are displayed and advertised, interrogating offer, demand, luxury, and media presence.