japonisme: fashion

continuing with this series of posts on japonisme, this one is about fashion. japan has long provided inspiration for those who design clothing for women, whether it's meant to be worn or purely for the sake of art like galliano's spring 2007 japanese-inspired collection for dior.

the details are what i especially loved about this collection. things like exquisite embroidery worked in lustrous silk threads and sequins, and these blue feathered butterflies perched on thin shoulders.

hand-painted umbrellas, folding fans, and tiered pearl chokers...

time and again, fashion looks to traditional japanese artforms, like origami...

isabel toledo tube jacket via the museum at FIT

marchesa spring 2009 rtw collection

and kirie – the japanese art of paper cutting, which may have been the inspiration for the decoration on this dress from marchesa's spring 2010 collection.

this post wouldn't be complete without mention of the three main fashion houses in japan – yohji yamamoto, issey miyake, and rei kawakubo – the designer behind the 'comme des garcons' label. if you follow the work of these internationally known fashion designers, you may recognize some of these images. their work is sculptural, often confrontational, and shows the use of innovative textiles and construction techniques.

for this hand-pleated silk crepe gown, it seems the current for inspiration was reversed, from west to east, for when asked about the inspiration, yamamoto replied, “maybe mme. grès."

white bride dress with big hoop skirt from yohji yamamoto's spring/summer 2009 collection

"wedding dress”, yohji yamamoto spring/summer 2000

a dress from the staircase series by miyake

issey miyake, spring/summer 2001

i may have champagne taste and a beer budget, but i can dream about one day wearing a creation by the genius that is rei kawakubo. untrained as a fashion designer, she conveys her ideas verbally to her patternmakers.

and now, for a look back in time to the year 1952, a swimsuit designed by carolyn schnurer re-embroidered in the pattern of a japanese paper box.

photographed by louise dahl-wolfe for harper's bazaar january 1952

image credits: TOP: japonaise sous l'orage by kusakabe kimbei via yellowkorner; rei kawakubo images courtesy of los angeles county museum of art

japonisme: fabrics

following the previous post on japanese papers, this next post is about japanese-inspired furnishing pattern. like many, i am unabashedly obsessed with fabric, and a quick glance online and through tear sheets revealed the influence japanese design and culture continue to have on those designing fabrics for interiors. following are just a few.

the inspiration for this collection by john stefanidis came from a trip to japan. i immediately recognized a resemblance to katazome papers, and am intrigued by how any one of these might look gracing a chair or pillow cover.

 fossil fabric in the style of a Japanese wood cut

pagodas, dahlias, cherry blossoms, and peonies – all from designers guild. these to me look more like chrysanthemums...even the leaves, but either one – dahlias or mums – are on the list for next year's cutting garden.
 

this one is a wallpaper from the same collection as the one directly above, but i couldn't resist including it, for i love the colors.

kyoto shrine – a geometric from david hicks

next up: japonisme: textiles and surface design

japonisme: paper

looking back at what i'm drawn to and what inspires me,  i see there are influences that have stood the test of time. one is japanese design and culture. since this blog is a place for me to document what i find beautiful in the world, i thought i'd spend a few posts devoted to my love affair with japonisme, starting with paper.

repetitive designs of small dense patterns have always fascinated me, so it's no wonder that i love chiyogami.

two of my favorite places to find these beautiful papers are paper mojo and shepherds falkiners. what i especially love about falkiners's site is that it allows you to add things to a wish list. it's been at least 4 months since my last visit, but they still had my list safe and sound. i'm familiar with persistent shopping carts, but this is fabulous. another resource is japanese paper place, but be prepared to spend hours there, if you like this sort of thing.

 chrysanthemums – always a favorite. 

are there any persistent styles, art, people, or places that have inspired you and lasted over the years? feel free to share this in the comments and stay tuned for part 2.

image credits: palace garden by nelson hancock at james sansum; paper mojo; shepherds falkiners; japanese paper place