Exhibitions
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Meisen Kimonos
INNOVATION STYLE & MODERNITY
This exhibition is an examination and celebration of meisen kimonos and haori. Meisen (pronounced, “may-zen”) fabric was produced in Japan from the latter part of the Meiji period (1868-1910) through to around 1955. They were inexpensive and the first “off the rack”, ready to wear kimono and haori that were widely available in Japan’s first department stores.
Meisen is a weaving and dyeing technique for producing an ikat fabric more quickly and in larger quantities than the labour intensive traditional methods allowed. Ikat is called Kasuri in Japan and it is this ancient technique that innovative textile producers of the late 19th century sought to emulate, develop and most crucially to produce in large quantities.