Set of eleven textile samples designed by Bentley & Spens and manufactured in Japan by Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd, 2002

Eleven textile samples:
T.14:11-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Red ground with yellow angel playing a lute. Grey and blue serpentine border
T.14:10-2004: Printed cotton sample for Yukata. Mauve tulips on yellow ground
T.14:9-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukat. Pink stylised shells on grey and white wave patterned ground
T.14:8-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Midnight blue ground with peaches and leaves in a pink and white chequered bowl, four peaches have fallen out of the bowl
T.14:7-2004: Sample of printed cotton designed for Yukata. Red ground with large white daisy with smaller yellow flowers forming stamen
T.14:6-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Black ground with stylised white lily with purple stamen
T.14:5-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Turquoise ground, green lozenge containing pale yellow cherub flanked by brown and blue eight petalled stylised flower
T.14:4-2004: Sample of printed cotton designed for Yukata. Cream ground, pink lozenge containing two cherubs holding a heart flanked by yellow and red stylised flowers
T.14:3-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Red and yellow flowers and buds on green ground
T.14:2-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Pale green and fawn ground, shaded red stylised goldfish blowing bubbles
T.14:1-2004: Sample of printed cotton for Yukata. Pale pink cherry blossom on yellow ground

Given by Kawashima Textile Manufacturers

Yukatas, made of cotton and hemp, were originally worn by ancient Japanese nobility for bathing. In the Edo period, public bathhouses that provided hot-water bathing facilities became popular amongst 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 yukatas 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 manufactured 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.

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.14:1 to 11-2004