The Khalili Collection of kimono comprises over 200 garments and spans 300years of Japanese textile artistry. The form of the T-shaped, straight-seamed,front-wrapping kimono has changed very little over the centuries, yet thecollection reveals an astonishing variety of designs, including formal, semiformaland informal kimono, undergarments and jackets, worn by women, menand children. Represented are the sophisticated garments of the imperial court,samurai aristocracy and affluent merchant classes of the Edo period (1603 1868), the shifting styles and new colour palette of Meiji-period dress (1868 1912) and particularly the bold and dazzling kimono of the Taisho (1912 26)and early Showa (1926 89) eras, which utilized innovative techniques anddrew fresh inspiration from both past traditions and the modern world.H ere, an international team of authors including the former curator oftextiles, Tokyo National Museum examines the art and evolution of thekimono in the historical context of the 17th to the 18th centuries, under theeditorship of Anna Jackson, Keeper of the Asian Department at the Victoriaand Albert Museum.