© The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Takashi Hatakeyama
You can enlarge by putting the mouse cursor on the image.
Swimsuit
1964
- Designer
 - Rudi Gernreich
 - Brand
 - Rudi Gernreich Design for Harmon Knitwear
 - Label
 - RUDI GERNREICH DESIGN FOR HARMON KNITWEAR
 - Material
 - Black and taupe striped wool jersey; strap-only top.
 - Inventory Number(s)
 - AC10127 99-27
 
This is the "monokini," a topless bathing suit that shocked the world. This showed the new realization that the skin itself could become a beautiful garment. Rudi Gernreich was a designer strongly conscious of bodies in developing his works since the 1960s. In 1964 he introduced a topless bathing suit, which he named the "monokini," in contrast to the "bikini," the two-piece swimming suit in fashion in those days. He introduced the thin skin-colored nylon brassiere known as the "No-Bra" in 1965. Thus he released many designs involving a new approach to the body in succession. In 1970 Gernreich introduced the unisex fashion, which eliminated gender differences. It was his unique think-outside-the-box approach.
Digital Archives