Japanese Modern Design Kimono

 Welcome to my page which is introducing the Japanese modern design kimono from my collection. You will be surprised to see how they look modern or contemporary in spite they were made about between 1930s and 1950s.                  

As for the modern design kimono, the meisen kimono ranks first in terms of its fresh design, bright colors, popularity and its amount of the production, however the silk crepe kimono, the silk gauze kimono ( ro ) , the asa chijimi summer kimono, the pongee silk kimono ( tsumugi ) also have contemporary designs produced in that time.  My collection happens to concentrate mostly on the meisen kimono, but I would like to be open to any kind.    

History of the meisen kimono

The meisen textile was woven in north and west mountainous region in Kanto district which is located in the middle of Japan, where silk cultivation had been well-practiced since late Edo period ( ca. mid 19th C ). The silk textile woven of second grade silk threads with burls or threads spun from two cocoons were called "futori" ( thick weaving ) and it was woven in the region.

Producing of the meisen textile most flourished in late Meiji, Taisho and early and mid Showa period ( ca. late 19th C to mid 20th C ) in the region. The meisen kimono was very popular among girl students in 1920s and 1930s and it was ardently welcomed by young women as a casual and fashionable kimono later. Its design and techniques of weaving were highly developed in those days. However, the meisen kimono rapidly went declining after 1950s because of the westernizing of life-style and change in the fashion of the people.

The design and the pattern of the meisen textile were rather simple in the early stage such as stripes ( shima ), cross ikat ( juji kasuri ) or plume ikat ( yagasuri ) until late Meiji and Taisho period ( ca. 1900s to 1910s ). After new weaving technique was invented, the more colorful and bold design meisen textile was produced. It is said there were competitions of meisen kimono design among weavers.

Here are some examples of kimonos with eye-catching and attractive modern or contemporary designs. Some of their designs are influenced with western modern art movements such as Art Neuveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, American modern, Cubism etc, however some are just transformation of the Japanese traditional designs or magnifying the some patterns

                             The above is a meisen kimono with geometric pattern which is warp and weft

                             kasuri. Mid 20th century.

                             The above kimono is meisen with warp and weft kasuri pattern. Mid 20th

                             century.

                           The above is a meisen kimono with warp & weft kasuri patten. Mid 20th

                           century

                            The above kimono is a silk crepe with bold wave pattern which is stencil-dyeing.                             Mid 20th century

                          The above is a michiyuki, a coat worn over kimono. It is made of soft figured

                          silk satin and has katazome pattern which is not necessarily modern design but its

                          bright  colors  and geometric pattern look very modernistic. The former 20th century.

                  The above is a sash for a casual kimono made in mid 20th century. The traditional

                  motifs such as plum flowers and butterflies in modern version. Free-hand painting

                  on silk satin.

                                               Meisen haori made in mid 20th century.

                The above is a sash with a design inspired by Art Déco. Plain weave silk. Stencil-dyeing.

                1930s~40s

                         The above kimono is not meisen but pongee silk with katazome ( stencil-dyeing )

                         which is  the variation of wave  pattern.

               The above kimono is silk crepe with katazome ( stencil-dyeing ) made in mid 20th

               century. Dazzling wave patterns!

                  The above kimono is not meisen but plain weave silk kimono with stencil-dyeing

                  pattern which are stripe ground as well as very fine patterns in the waves.

            The above kimono has motifs of hand pinwheels. Eye-catching pop design and cool colors!

The pattern of the above kimono is the traditional "sayagata", but its color and bold large pattern look modern.

The above kimono is not a meisen kimono but a silk crepe one whose pattern reminds me of the cubism painting

The above photo is not a kimono but a sash ( obi ) with contemporary design which looks inspired by the painting of Joan Miro or Kandinsky. It was probably made in mid 20th century.

The aboveis not meisen kimono but silk crepe summer kimono. It has beautifulblue ground and eye-catching cross pattern which is stencil-dyed.

This is a camouflage pattern haori, really dazzling!

Please browse my TROCADERO home page at

www.TROCADERO.com/haruko/

which is the catalog page for mingei items, folk textiles, kimonos,

bamboo baskets and so on