London (AFP)

Yves Saint Laurent, George Lucas, David Bowie: all were seduced by the charm of the kimono, this traditional Japanese dress whose multiple variations, from the Jedi costume to the design version, are celebrated in an exhibition in London.

"When you think of fashion, the kimono may not be the first thing that comes to mind," concedes museum director Tristram Hunt. But the aim of the exhibition "Kimono: from Kyoto to the podiums", which opens on Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum and lasts until June 21, is precisely to "challenge this perception".

From the entrance, a traditional kimono dating from 1800, a modern creation by the Japanese designer Jotaro Saito and an exceptional piece by the British John Galliano for Dior are juxtaposed.

For Mr. Hunt, this triptych "shows how the fashion of the kimono has not ceased to be translated across cultural and geographic boundaries".

His influence even extended to distant galaxies, very distant, inspiring the Jedi master outfit worn by Alec Guinness when he embodied in "Star Wars" the venerable Obi-Wan Kenobi.

In total, more than 100 pieces are on display. The oldest, dating from around 1660-1680, seduces with its sober patterns of maple leaves embroidered on an aquatic fabric. The most recent is a long streetwear-style hooded coat, made in 2019 by young stylist Milligan Beaumont.

- Unisex -

"It is the extreme simplicity of the form of the kimono that allows it to be deconstructed and reconstructed in multiple ways", explains to the AFP the exhibition curator, Anna Jackson, also praising "its fluidity".

For Mrs. Jackson, "many are seduced by the drape falling on the shoulders", for others, "it is the central belt" (obi) or "the sumptuous fabrics, the extraordinary patterns and the unusual way in which these two elements are combined ".

The kimono, a piece worn by both men and women since the Japanese Middle Ages, first appeared in Europe during the Edo era (1615-1868), when the Dutch East India Company was licensed to trade with Japan, despite its strongly isolationist policy.

In the nineteenth century, Japan began to make kimonos with French silk, and Europe to imitate the traditional dress from Japanese fabrics. Since then, this iconic piece has continued to influence international fashion.

- Elegance and performance -

Over time, traditional embroidery - reeds, cherry trees, water lilies, birds or dragons - have given way to sophisticated geometric shapes, even psychedelic patterns.

French stylist Jean-Paul Gaultier shortens the kimono to mid-leg in a fiery red creation in 1998 for pop star Madonna. In 1997, Alexander McQueen created for the singer Björk an enlarged version with the neck and the shortened sleeves, thus offering her an experimental and avant-garde look at his height.

In 2005, Yohji Yamamoto reinterpreted the kimono in a silk crepe version that captured his ambiguity vis-à-vis the genre, as Freddie Mercury had already known how to do in the 1970s, when he wore this garment on stage after Queen's tour of Japan.

"It is a non-gendered garment. Basically, its shape does not change, whether you are a man or a woman", analyzes Anna Jackson, for whom this piece has "a sense of performance".

An attraction that has notably taken hold of singer David Bowie to build his futuristic alter-ego Ziggy Stardust.

"Any fashion is in a sense a performance," adds the curator, "but in a kimono, it's very easy to do it elegantly."

© 2020 AFP