POSTPONED Japonism in Fashion lectures by Angela Lassig – 1930s to the present day

Please note: This event has been postponed.

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Japonism in Fashion lectures by Angela Lassig – 1930s to the present day

Japanese art caused a great stir in Europe during the latter half of the 19th century, inciting the emergence of Japonism: a strong and highly visible Japanese influence on European painting, decorative arts, interior design, music and fashion.

The kimono, introduced through international exhibitions, quickly won the hearts of European and American women and artists, and by the 1890s Japanese motifs were reproduced on French textiles. Later, the freedom of movement and simple form of the kimono would have a profound impact on the work of designers such as Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet. While the kimono continued to inspire western fashion throughout the 20th century, from the 1970s the innovative creations of Japanese designers have garnered worldwide recognition and acclaim.

In 2003, textile and dress historian Angela Lassig brought the exhibition Japonism in Fashion, initiated and developed by the Kyoto Costume Institute in 1989, to Te Papa Tongarewa and Christchurch Art Gallery. Now she will give two lectures on this topic as part of our events programme for the exhibition Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan.

In the second lecture of this two-part series, Angela will explore Japonism in fashion from the 1930s to the present day, incorporating the narrative of the rise of Japanese designers and fashion labels such as Issey Miyake and Comme des Garçons in their own right from the late 1960s.

Image credits:
Dress, Salon Daimaru Dior /Yves Saint Laurent, Spring/Summer 1960. ©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Richard Haughton.*

*work not on display at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.