Tailored With Love: Children's Kimono Throughout Generations

Tailored With Love: Children’s Kimono Throughout Generations showcases traditional Japanese children’s clothing and artefacts, dating from the Edo period to the early Showa period.

Curated by Iwao Nagasaki (Director of Kyoritsu Women’s University Museum, Professor of Department of Textiles and Clothing), this exhibition guides viewers through 200 years of children’s kimono styles, each representative of the eras during which they were crafted.

Children’s kimono are comforting to look at, and not just because of their miniature sizes. Each kimono design reflects the love of a mother who painstakingly sewed the garment, or a parent who chose the robe for their child to wear. Tailored With Love features a selection of children’s kimono inspired by the care and affection that parents have poured into their children, while also reflecting the historical context of each garment’s creation. From bold floral patterns to more subdued designs featuring pastels and animal motifs, the kimono on display in this exhibition reflect the diversity of textiles at the time.

Tailored With Love will be held at The Japan Foundation Gallery from April 5 to June 8, 2024, with an Opening Night Reception on Friday 5 April 6-8:30pm (free to the public, bookings not required).