Kimonos get rock ‘n’ roll makeover

TOKYO: Tokyo fashion week drew to a close at the weekend showcasing a glamorous new twist on the kimono, as the Japanese classic makes a quiet comeback into women’s wardrobes.

In a departure from the heavy silk usually used to make the traditional garb, designers are turning to other fabrics such as jersey, wool and even denim to reinvent the kimono.
“The kimono is fashion... it shouldn’t be presented as old-fashioned,” said celebrated designer Jotaro Saito.
“I want to spread the message that kimono can be worn every day, it’s something people can wear like they wear modern clothes, not... something that makes them feel like they are in a costume,” Saito told AFP.
Kimono, which translates as “something to wear,” was originally an umbrella term that covered a range of garments worn by Japanese men and women for centuries, but has now come to signify an outer robe tied with a wide sash known as an obi.
The kimono’s decline dates back to the late 1800s when Japan’s rulers opened up the country to modern influences after hundreds of years of self-imposed seclusion, signaling a shift that would see future generations embrace western clothing.
The garment never quite recovered its popularity thanks to a prohibitively high cost that can run into the thousands of dollars, compelling many brides to rent rather than purchase kimono for their weddings.
But observers said the fashion industry’s renewed interest may do more to ensure its survival.
Designer Saito, born into a family of kimono-dyeing artists in Kyoto, has worked with the garment for two decades and believes change is critical to its future in fashion.
“What we need to do now is evolve the kimono. We cannot just do what previous generations have already done,” Saito said.
In a nod to labor-intensive Japanese traditions, Saito’s kimono — which can cost more than one million yen ($8,300) — are all made by hand, from the dyeing stages to stitching, printing and embroidery.
In his debut showing Saturday night at fashion week, heavy-metal rocker Yoshiki collaborated with a Kyoto-based brand on body-hugging kimono, slashed to miniskirt-length and worn with stilettos, leather collars and high-heeled boots.
The dyed-blonde co-founder of the band X Japan — who opened the show with a piano recital from Swan Lake — used leopard-print fabric and gold netting in his designs and told AFP he wanted to see women wear his kimono to concerts.
“I tried to combine rock & roll with tradition,” he said.