Yukata (summer kimono), designed by Bentley & Spens in England, made by Kawashima Textile Manufacturers in Japan, 2002.

Printed cotton yukata, or summer kimono, with black seahorses and grey seaweed on white ground.

Given by Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd.

This yukata is part of the Bentley & Spens Yukata Collection 2002 'Outgoing'.

Yukatas, made of cotton and hemp, were originally worn by ancient nobility for bathing. In the Edo period in Japan, public bathhouses that provided hot-water bathing facilities became popular amongst the ordinary people and with this, cotton yukatas became fashionable after-bath wear. In the Meiji era, women had one high quality yukata meant for use outside of the home. After WWII, the trend for wearing yukata lost popularity, however, in the latter half of the 1980s it began to make a comeback as casual summer wear amongst young women. Yukatas are not necessarily manufacturered by kimono makers, there are even Jean Paul Gaultier designs, however in response to competition from low priced, mass produced garments from China, many kimono makers have targetted the high quality-conscious consumer end of the market. The idea is not to be too perfectly co-ordinated with yukata, belt, shoes and bag, but instead convey a chic and playful image in a way that is not entirely different from Western clothing.

During the 1980s, not only the traditional yukata but many other Japanese traditions became very popular among young people. Parallels can be drawn between this resurgence of national pride and favourable economic conditions. On 7 July the festival of 'Tanabata' is celebrated. The appearance on either side of the Milky Way of the stars Altair and Vega is likened to the once-a-year tryst of the main protagonists of the legend, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, and like the lovers, children continue the custom of writing their own wishes on strips of paper tied to bamboo leaves and pray for them to be realised. Seeing a PR opportunity, in 1981 the Japan Yukata Association also designated 7 July as Yukata Day, a time when demands for the summer yukata is at its highest.

Reason For Production: Retail

In the latter half of the 1980s, the yukata, or summer kimono, began to make a comeback in Japan as casual summer wear amongst young women. Traditional versions were indigo and white, and whilst today there are no restrictions on the use of colour, the yukata has not witnessed any great variation in the basic design. The overwhelming majority employ some sort of traditional pattern such as a flower design or water pattern, with the odd ice cream cone or goldfish. In 2002, the British design team Bentley & Spens collaborated with Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Limited to produce a range of textiles for the Japanese market. The range of fabric designs created by Bentley & Spens has taken the traditional roots of the yukata and embodied it with a chic and playful image.

T.11-2004