Exclusive Tour: KIMONO. Kyoto to Catwalk

[INVITATION ONLY] With Fashion Designer Kazu Huggler and In-House Curator Dr. Khanh Trinh

The spectacular exhibition KIMONO. Kyoto to Catwalk, a production of the V&A, London, on display at Museum Rietberg starting from September 2023, honours the kimono as an iconic garment and delves into its fascinating history. The ultimate symbol of Japan, the kimono represents the essence of national culture and sensibility and is globally revered with a sense of exotic fascination.

The exhibition features over a hundred exquisite kimonos, paintings, and woodblock prints that date back to the 18th to the 20th centuries. It also showcases the intricate creations of contemporary fashion designers to demonstrate the sartorial and aesthetic significance of the kimono in both historical and contemporary contexts. The exhibition at Museum Rietberg – the sole venue for it in German-speaking Europe – aims to showcase the kimono's dynamic and fashionable nature.

We have the pleasure of inviting you to an exclusive tour through the exhibition with fashion designer Kazu Huggler – who designed an outfit especially for this exhibition and developed a short film, which showcases her textile creation and can be watched there – and in-house curator, Dr. Khanh Trinh. They will share their unique insights with us, tell us the stories behind the individual pieces, and answer all of your questions.

After the tour we will enjoy an apéro together and continue the conversation over drinks and light refreshments. We look forward to spending this afternoon filled with art and conversations with you!

This event is organized in collaboration with Museum Rietberg.

This is an invitation-only event. Want to receive an invitation? Become a Passport Member today and receive regular invitations to exclusive events, art tours, and closed-door Executive Roundtables. More information here.

Kazu Huggler, born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Swiss father, was raised in both Japan and Switzerland. After completing the International Baccalaureate in Zurich, she studied at Tokyo's Keio University and graduated with a degree in Japanese History of Art and Aesthetics. Kazu then enrolled in the Swiss University of Art and Design Hochschule für Gestaltung, and completed her studies at the London's Central Satin Martins College of Art and Design. In London, Kazu apprenticed with Vivienne Westwood. 

In 2002, Kazu founded her own fashion label KAZU, which is strongly influenced by the Japanese kimono and ancient textile designs as well as traditional Japanese philosophies of dressing. Kazu's creations are aimed at customers worldwide and are produced in her own KAZU Atelier in Switzerland or in external ateliers.

Kazu has repeatedly showcased her artistic and couture creations in art museums. She celebrated the 10 years anniversary of KAZU with a fashion show at the Nezu Museum in Tokyo. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Switzerland, she gave a talk and fashion show at the Residence of the Swiss embassy in Tokyo. Her imperial highness empress Michiko was among the guests. In Zurich, she has presented her creations at the Museum Bellerive (2013), the Haus Konstruktiv (2015), the Museum Rietberg (2016 and 2019), in the frame of the Zürcher Festspiele at the Kunsthaus Zurich (2018) and at the Museum für Gestaltung Zurich (2020/2021).

In 2021, several works from Kazu's TAN collection have been acquired by the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, and the City of Zurich. Her TAN creations are now on permanent loan to the Museum für Gestaltung Zurich and the Museum Rietberg.

Since March 2011, Kazu has been actively involved in restoration projects in the north of Japan and has donated Bernina sewing machines to high schools hit by the disaster. She has also committed to the long-term support of the citizens of Rikuzentakata region in Iwate Prefecture and founded a non-profit organisation Three Cranes Association.

Photo credit: Silvano Zeiter

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Khanh Trinh completed her studies in East Asian Art History, Japanese Studies, and Sinology at the University of Zurich in 2000 with a PhD thesis on the Japanese painter Tani Bunchō (1763–1840). Between 1997 and 2015, she worked as a lecturer and curator of Japanese Art History in Berlin, Rome, Tokyo, and Sydney before taking up the position of curator for Japanese and Korean Art at the Museum Rietberg Zurich in 2015.

In her research and publication work, she focuses on the social and cultural contexts of Japanese art production in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a curator and author, she has been involved in numerous exhibitions and contributed to the accompanying publications.

In addition, she has also published widely on different aspects of Japanese painting and applied art during the Edo period (1603–1868) and on contemporary Japanese and Korean art.

Exhibitions outside the Museum Rietberg:

Theatre of Dreams, Theatre of Play – Nō and Kyōgen in Japan (2014)

Soul of Simplicity – Seven centuries of Korean ceramics (2013)

Kamisaka Sekka – Dawn of Modern Japanese Design (2012)

Hosoe Eikoh – Theatre of Memory (2011)

Hymn to Beauty – The art of Utamaro (2010)

Genji – The world of the Shining Prince (2009)

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Event Details

In-person

Fri 22 Sep 2023

12 - 1:30 p.m.

Museum Rietberg
Gablerstrasse 15
8002 Zurich
Switzerland

Click for directions

20230922T120000 20230922T133000 America/New_York Asia Society: Exclusive Tour: KIMONO. Kyoto to Catwalk For event details visit https://asiasociety.org/switzerland/events/exclusive-tour-kimono-kyoto-catwalk Museum Rietberg Gablerstrasse 15 8002 Zurich Switzerland