Kimonos

Kimonos reveals the intricacies of Japanese dress from the 18th century to the present. Including garments for women, men and children, the details have been selected both for their exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, and for how much they impart about the wearer’s identity, be it age, status or taste. A comprehensive introduction, illuminating the main periods and key themes of Japanese fashion history, is followed by thematic chapters that cover all eras of clothing, including hair accessories and necklines to hemlines and shoes. Each garment or illustration is accompanied by text exploring its structure and the fascinating range of decorative techniques employed, including embroidery, weaving, lacquering, stencilling, dyeing and digital technology. The kimono has experienced a number of revivals in previous decades, and is still worn today as fashionable clothing in Japan. Rinko Kimino has written 20 books on kimonos, Japanese folk craft and kabuki and her work has appeared in several books, magazines and newspaper articles. Her works are geared toward the youth of Japan, and promote Japanese traditions such as kimonos and Japanese traditional crafts with a modern sensibility. As a curator of Japanese culture, she wants to share with and educate others on the beauty and healing/calming benefits the classic Japanese ritual of kimonos, kabuki, Japanese calligraphy, traditional art & craft and tea ceremonies can provide. She is also a curator for the development of new kimonos and Japanese accessories to appeal to a contemporary audience. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.