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From Page to Kimono: Designs from the Archive

Until Jun 21

At Chiso, numerous fragments of kimono fabrics, called “kire,” produced from the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the early Showa period (1926-1989) have been preserved. Some of these fragments reveal the original paintings or design sketches that served as their source images, and they have been introduced in several past exhibitions at the Chiso Gallery.
Recently, books and magazines containing illustrations that correspond exactly to the patterns found in these fragments were discovered in the company’s archive library. Chiso’s library has long served as a place where employees come and go to study the beauty of tradition and seek inspiration for new ideas. The fact that the very materials once used as references for kimono designs still exist in our active archive shows that they remain “living resources” that continue to support Chiso’s creativity.
In this exhibition, the reference materials are displayed alongside the fabric fragments, revealing how illustrations and images were translated into kimono patterns. Beginning with simple copying, designers altered compositions, combined elements, and reconstructed motifs. In the space between reference material and finished pattern, we can trace a process of thought that unravels beauty and weaves it anew.

Schedule

Now in session

Mar 20 (Fri) 2026-Jun 21 (Sun) 2026 50 days left