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Kimono: A Modern History
What is the kimono? Everyday garment? Art object? Symbol of Japan? As Terry Satsuki Milhaupt explains in this book, the kimono has served all of these roles, its meaning changing across time and with the perspective of the wearer or viewer. A Modern History traces the transformation of the kimono from everyday garment to national symbol of Japan. It begins by revealing the foundations of the modern kimono fashion industry in the 17th- and 18th-century. With Japan’s exposure to Western fashion in the 19th century, and Westerners’ contact with distinctive Japanese modes of dress and design, the kimono took on new associations and came to symbolize an exotic culture and an alluring female form. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the kimono industry was sustained through government support. The line between fashion and art became blurred, as kimonos produced by famous designers were collected for their beauty and displayed in museums, rather than being worn as clothing. Today, the kimono has once again taken on new dimensions, as the Internet and social media proliferate images of the kimono as a versatile garment to be integrated into a range of individual styles.Published to accompany the Kimono exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, commencing in September 2014, A Modern History not only tells the story of a distinctive garment’s ever-changing functions and image, but provides a novel perspective on Japan’s modernization and encounter with the West.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 18, 2016
This elegant history of kimono focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries - of which the cover photo is emblematic. It shows a woman's summer kimono with a design of plovers in flight over stylised waves, the design radiating outward from the centre front of the kimono. Dating to the years 1900-1925, the design is based on a classic motif seen in the printed pattern books 100 years earlier, but recalibrated for the modern age.
This is exactly what drew me into this book - the quest to analyse different elements of that transition from old to new, in the Meiji era (1868-1915) and beyond. Japan was opening up and so much was on the brink of change.
Milhaupt's narrative covers both technical aspects and social history: the growing use of foreign materials and technologies in kimono manufacture; the rise of the big Japanese department stores; and new advertising techniques, such as posters, pamphlets and women's magazines.
She also explores more conceptual trends such as the popularity of the kimono in Europe and North America and its connotations there; and a new nostalgia in contemporary Japan for the vintage kimono of olden times. These broader themes are complemented by a stand-alone chapter that presents the individual histories of a handful of specific kimono designers.
Technical terms from the Japanese are used throughout and, though explanations are given, I think a glossary at the back would have been beneficial. The illustrations are excellent and eye-opening - there were many items I had not seen elsewhere. A detailed and interesting read, recommended for those with a passion for costume and fashion.
Review first posted at http://asianartbrief.com
This is exactly what drew me into this book - the quest to analyse different elements of that transition from old to new, in the Meiji era (1868-1915) and beyond. Japan was opening up and so much was on the brink of change.
Milhaupt's narrative covers both technical aspects and social history: the growing use of foreign materials and technologies in kimono manufacture; the rise of the big Japanese department stores; and new advertising techniques, such as posters, pamphlets and women's magazines.
She also explores more conceptual trends such as the popularity of the kimono in Europe and North America and its connotations there; and a new nostalgia in contemporary Japan for the vintage kimono of olden times. These broader themes are complemented by a stand-alone chapter that presents the individual histories of a handful of specific kimono designers.
Technical terms from the Japanese are used throughout and, though explanations are given, I think a glossary at the back would have been beneficial. The illustrations are excellent and eye-opening - there were many items I had not seen elsewhere. A detailed and interesting read, recommended for those with a passion for costume and fashion.
Review first posted at http://asianartbrief.com
November 3, 2024
After listening to やさしい民俗学‘s series on the history of the kimono, I decided to read Kimono – A Modern History and brush up on my knowledge of the kimono.
As the title indicates, this book is about the kimono from 1850 onwards, till about 2014 when the book was published. Split into six very long chapters, Kimono covers:
1. The rise of kimono pattern books and how the kimono started becoming an object you could buy to indicate status
2. How Westernisation and the modernisation of Japan in Meiji-era affected the kimono, both as something to wear/as a symbol of Japan and also the way it was made (with imported dyes/motifs/etc)
3. How kimonos slowly came to represent Japan, in all its tradition
4. The way that kimonos were exported to the West and how they became conflated with the geisha and the idea of alluring women
5. Kimono designs, particularly during WWII with its austerity measures
6. The post-WWII era, with the proliferation of kimono schools and the change from kimono as everyday wear to kimono as a cultural relic
For me, this is a book that demands a reread. Milhaupt goes into the the more technical aspects of making a kimono, especially in the latter half other book, and I have to admit that a lot of the information about how certain dyes are created or how certain pieces of cloth are made went over my head. I will definitely have to reread the book to get a better understanding of that, as well as more information on the various designers mentioned in the book.
But even with struggling with some of the information, I found most of the book to be interesting and thought provoking. This was especially in the middle section, when Milhaupt talks about how the kimono was exported to the West. For example, I found this quote very relevant to the kimono industry today:
“The continued production of kimonos and traditional Japanese fabrics, whether as clothing to wear on special occasions, as examples of ‘traditional Japanese craftsmanship’, or as works of art, raise further questions about the rationale for preserving ‘traditions’. When, for example, does assimilation of the novel cross over into the realm of ‘tradition’, regardless of weather the original source of inspiration was domestic or international?”
Well actually, not just kimono. I think it can be expanded to talk about traditional dress more generally, as well. In fact, when talking about the West, Milhaupt briefly discusses the concept of appropriation, and that’s where I realised that it’s not just who is wearing the clothes but how the clothes are made – what happens when someone uses Western technology (in the Meiji-era, that would be foreign dyes) to make kimono? Especially if the kimono comes to represent traditional Japanese culture, how does the use of things that are not natively Japanese (though that is also complex given how much the Japanese borrowed from the Chinese to make their own) fit when we consider appropriation and who the kimono can be worn by? It’s a pity this book was written just before the Boston Kimono Wednesday controversy because I think there’s a lot we can reference from the past when analysing that incident.
Overall, this is a fascinating book and one that I think pairs very nicely with Kimono Now, which is an even more recent look at kimono. While Kimono: A Modern History may not be for everyone (it really does get quite academic at times!), I think it would interest those who are keen to learn more about this aspect of Japanese culture.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
As the title indicates, this book is about the kimono from 1850 onwards, till about 2014 when the book was published. Split into six very long chapters, Kimono covers:
1. The rise of kimono pattern books and how the kimono started becoming an object you could buy to indicate status
2. How Westernisation and the modernisation of Japan in Meiji-era affected the kimono, both as something to wear/as a symbol of Japan and also the way it was made (with imported dyes/motifs/etc)
3. How kimonos slowly came to represent Japan, in all its tradition
4. The way that kimonos were exported to the West and how they became conflated with the geisha and the idea of alluring women
5. Kimono designs, particularly during WWII with its austerity measures
6. The post-WWII era, with the proliferation of kimono schools and the change from kimono as everyday wear to kimono as a cultural relic
For me, this is a book that demands a reread. Milhaupt goes into the the more technical aspects of making a kimono, especially in the latter half other book, and I have to admit that a lot of the information about how certain dyes are created or how certain pieces of cloth are made went over my head. I will definitely have to reread the book to get a better understanding of that, as well as more information on the various designers mentioned in the book.
But even with struggling with some of the information, I found most of the book to be interesting and thought provoking. This was especially in the middle section, when Milhaupt talks about how the kimono was exported to the West. For example, I found this quote very relevant to the kimono industry today:
“The continued production of kimonos and traditional Japanese fabrics, whether as clothing to wear on special occasions, as examples of ‘traditional Japanese craftsmanship’, or as works of art, raise further questions about the rationale for preserving ‘traditions’. When, for example, does assimilation of the novel cross over into the realm of ‘tradition’, regardless of weather the original source of inspiration was domestic or international?”
Well actually, not just kimono. I think it can be expanded to talk about traditional dress more generally, as well. In fact, when talking about the West, Milhaupt briefly discusses the concept of appropriation, and that’s where I realised that it’s not just who is wearing the clothes but how the clothes are made – what happens when someone uses Western technology (in the Meiji-era, that would be foreign dyes) to make kimono? Especially if the kimono comes to represent traditional Japanese culture, how does the use of things that are not natively Japanese (though that is also complex given how much the Japanese borrowed from the Chinese to make their own) fit when we consider appropriation and who the kimono can be worn by? It’s a pity this book was written just before the Boston Kimono Wednesday controversy because I think there’s a lot we can reference from the past when analysing that incident.
Overall, this is a fascinating book and one that I think pairs very nicely with Kimono Now, which is an even more recent look at kimono. While Kimono: A Modern History may not be for everyone (it really does get quite academic at times!), I think it would interest those who are keen to learn more about this aspect of Japanese culture.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
February 6, 2021
A thoroughly researched book and an excellent introduction to the subject for anyone interested, giving roughly equal consideration to the historical evolution of the garment and its modern history. The references section at the back also provides more works to look into if a topic is of particular interest.
Unfortunately it is not well formatted for TTS, which is my primary mode of reading at the moment. The frequent inclusions of graphics and associated explanitory text broke up the narrative and made the book feel choppy and a little erratic. I recognize this is a complaint not many will share, though, and so it is not reflected in the rating I gave. Deffinitely a book to sight read.
Unfortunately it is not well formatted for TTS, which is my primary mode of reading at the moment. The frequent inclusions of graphics and associated explanitory text broke up the narrative and made the book feel choppy and a little erratic. I recognize this is a complaint not many will share, though, and so it is not reflected in the rating I gave. Deffinitely a book to sight read.
June 5, 2015
This book is amazing for its own genre, and you should definitely consider if you want to read a comprehensive, in-depth academic study of kimono history. This is definitely not a light read, so if you are looking for a fun introduction into the topic, I will suggest starting somewhere else. "Kimono: A Modern History" reads as dissertation, so once again, if you are not a fan of dense reading, try something else.
However, all other things considered, this is an amazing study! A great deal of details, amazing pictures, and interesting historical facts make it a worthwhile read, and a book you would want to have in your East Asian studies collection for any future references.
However, all other things considered, this is an amazing study! A great deal of details, amazing pictures, and interesting historical facts make it a worthwhile read, and a book you would want to have in your East Asian studies collection for any future references.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews