Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

By Jen McLaren, 24.05.2024

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, V/A Dundee

Newhailes House near Edinburgh, was once the home of the Dalrymple family and is now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. This silk robe is the only one of Japanese origin known to survive in Britain. It is thought to have belonged to Sir James Dalrymple (1692-1751) who is likely to have acquired it while visiting the Netherlands, which had a trade route with Japan.

The light blue gown follows the basic style of a kimono, however the proportions and pattern alignment have been adjusted to suit Western tastes. It features crests, which are purely decorative, meanwhile a trade document reports a “silk kimono with family crests” being loaded onto a Dutch ship in 1711.

A beautiful silk robe in purple, pink and peach, it features a rose and lattice pattern that echoes the now iconic designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the artists of the Glasgow School. 

The decorative Japanese aesthetic and its focus on symmetry had a profound influence on the Art Nouveau movement in the early 20th Century. Mackintosh was one of those artists and designers who was inspired by it and brought both the visual forms and ethos into his work and interiors. 

Interestingly, the influence appears to have been mutual, with the rose motif being used on this Japanese garment, created around the time of Mackintosh’s death in 1928.

Born in New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, Bill Gibb (1943-88) attended Central St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art, going on to become a well-respected fashion designer who blended the bohemian with the romantic.

Designed to be worn loosely, this piece fuses the style of the kimono with a 1970s look. Gibb used printed silk satin featuring a design by Janet Taylor – Jubilee – which was created to commemorate the silver jubilee of HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. The print includes roses, rosehips, birds, butterflies, peacocks and thistles, which act as a reference to his Scottish heritage. 

 

Alexander McQueen's interest in Japan is evident in the short brocade silk jacket which features in the exhibition, with its broad sleeves and a cross-over collar that curves away from the back of the neck. 

McQueen was also known for his use of tartan, alluding to his Scottish heritage. His father was Scottish and his mother traced the family's roots back to the time of the last Jacobite rising. Following his death in 2010, McQueen’s ashes were scattered at Kilmur on Skye. 
In the kimono, McQueen found a garment that could embody a futuristic modernity while also being a vehicle for exquisite material and craftsmanship. 

For the cover of Homogenic, Bjork’s third studio album, she collaborated with her friend – the designer Alexander McQueen – along with photographer Nick Knight and stylist Katy England to create the artwork.

Bjork’s first two album covers feature portrait-style images and this one depicts a digitally-enhanced warrior goddess, featuring multiple cultural references and drawing from non-western ideals of power and beauty.

She wears a kimono-style dress created by McQueen and neck rings by Shaun Leane inspired by the jewellery of the Kayan people of Myanmar. Her hair style is modelled on those of Native American tribes, but also recalls that of Edo-period courtesans in Japan.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk runs until January 5 2025 at V&A Dundee. Tickets £7 to £15. Members, and 18s and under, go free.