It means “thing to wear,” and in addition to being the national dress of Japan, the kimono is one of the world’s most elegant things to wear. A new show tracks the evolution of this garment in its own country, where it was once a go-to outfit but is now saved for formal events, and then looks at the way its sartorial and aesthetic qualities have resonated with different cultures and sectors, most notably with designers in high fashion. —J.V.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
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Victoria and Albert Museum / London
Victoria and Albert Museum / London
Utagawa Kunisada, “Fashionable brocade patterns of the Imperial Palace,” 1847–1852 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK
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