This is 1 of 5 films that take you on a personal curator tour of our exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk.

Captured as the museum was closing its doors for a while, curator Anna Jackson guides you through the exhibition spaces, providing a personal insight into the making of the show, star exhibits and the fascinating history of the kimono. Sometimes perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.

The exhibition reveals the sartorial, aesthetic and social significance of kimono from the 1660s to today, both in Japan and the rest of the world.

This film looks at: kimono as fashion | the Edo period | the thing to wear | kimono as haute couture of its day | kimono construction | kimono and the body | surface pattern, colour and technique | dyeing and embroidery | social status | samurai taste | displaying kimono