V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimono
Stepping into the V&A’s new blockbuster exhibit is like being catapulted back centuries and across the ocean into 17th century Japan. Centre stage in the first room sits an intimate tea house, crafted from spun paper, which is set against a matcha green backdrop where freestanding bamboo accents punctuate the space; over the speakers, a custom audio was created to evoke the sounds that might have been heard at the time — horses clacking against rudimentary roads, china cups clinking and the sound of feet shuffling across tatami mats.