Realization of Kimono Fashion by Fusing Digital Art and Digital Textile Printing

We have been working to create new art fashion by fusing digital art and digital textile printing. As a new attempt of this activity, we produced a Kimono, a traditional Japanese garment, using the same method. The challenge was creating a Kimono with an extended hem, called "Ohikizuri,” used for weddings and other ceremonial occasions. The Kimono was designed using the “Sound of Ikebana,” the digital art created by Naoko Tosa, one of the authors. In the production process, we learned and obtained much knowledge and advice from the chairman of a traditional Kimono company in Kyoto. We learned the know-how of Kimono pattern making and design placement through repeated prototyping of the Kimono using paper and polyester. We were finally able to create a Kimono using silk fabric, which was shown at the runway of the New York Fashion Week in September 2023 and was highly evaluated.