V&A
Navy Blue Silk Kimono with Abstract Patchwork
2020s · 2010s · Japanese
Production
artisan-craft
Material
silk
Culture
Japanese
Movement
Contemporary Kimono Art · Cottagecore
Influences
traditional kimono construction · contemporary art textile
A contemporary kimono featuring a bold abstract patchwork design against a navy blue base. The garment displays traditional kimono construction with wide sleeves, straight-line cutting, and wrap-front closure secured by a bright magenta obi sash. The surface treatment combines geometric patches in contrasting colors including black, white, and magenta elements that create a modern artistic interpretation. The silk fabric maintains the traditional weight and drape expected of formal kimono construction. Golden circular motifs are scattered across the composition, adding metallic accents to the contemporary color palette. The overall effect bridges traditional Japanese garment structure with avant-garde textile design.
dressloose fitfloor length
Connected To
Worn with·obiWorn with·undergarmentsMotif·abstract-organic
SHARED170 years
These two kimono reveal how Japanese textile design absorbs and transforms foreign influences across centuries. The Victorian-era kosode brazenly displays Western memento mori imagery—skulls, bones, and bat wings scattered like a gothic fever dream—probably inspired by Dutch trade goods or missionary artifacts that filtered into Japan during its opening to the West.
Echoes Across Time
Victorian Early / Crinoline → 2020s · 170yr57%
SHARED
These two kimono reveal how Japanese textile design absorbs and transforms foreign influences across centuries. The Victorian-era kosode brazenly displays Western memento mori imagery—skulls, bones, and bat wings scattered like a gothic fever dream—probably inspired by Dutch trade goods or missionary artifacts that filtered into Japan during its opening to the West.
Worn with·obiWorn with·undergarmentsMotif·abstract-organic
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