ExhibitionsExhibitions

Exhibitions

© The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

Major Exhibitions

The KCI produces exhibitions that deal with a variety of themes in fashion at museums around the world. We oversee the overall planning and organization of these events, creating comprehensive overviews of clothing from diverse perspectives.
Major exhibitions, such as "Revolution in Fashion", "Japonism in Fashion", "Fashion in Colors", and "Future Beauty", which were organized by the KCI in collaboration with the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and other museums, have aroused new interest in fashion exhibitions in Japan.

  • Love Fashion: In Search of Myself
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Kazuo Fukunaga

    Love Fashion: In Search of Myself

    Sep. - Nov. 2025The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2025Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

    Apr. - Jun. 2025Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

  • Dress Code: Are You Playing Fashion?
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Kazuo Fukunaga

    Dress Code: Are You Playing Fashion?

    Aug. - Oct. 2019The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Dec. 2019 - Feb. 2020Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

    July. - Aug. 2020Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

    May. - Sep. 2021Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn

  • Kimono Refashioned: Japan's Impact on International Fashion
    © Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

    Kimono Refashioned: Japan's Impact on International Fashion

    Oct. 2018 - Jan. 2019Newark Museum, New Jersey,
    organized with the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

    Feb. - May. 2019Asian Art Museum, San Francisco,
    organized with the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

    Jun. - Sep. 2019Cincinnati Art Museum,
    organized with the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco [Kimono: Refashioning Contemporary Style]

  • The Elegant Other――Cross-cultural Encounters in Fashion and Art
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi

    The Elegant Other――Cross-cultural Encounters in Fashion and Art

    Apr. - Jun., 2017Yokohama Museum of Art

  • A Vision of Fashion
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute

    A Vision of Fashion

    Jun. - Sep. 2011Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

  • Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Osamu Watanabe

    Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion

    Oct. 2010 - Feb. 2011Barbican Art Gallery, London

    Mar. - Jun. 2011Haus der Kunst, Munich

    Jul. - Oct. 2012Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

    Jun. - Sep. 2013Seattle Art Museum

    Nov. 2013 - Jan. 2014Peabody Essex Museum, Salem

    Nov. 2014 - Feb. 2015Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane

    Mar. - May. 2014National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

  • Luxury in fashion Reconsidered
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

    Luxury in fashion Reconsidered

    Apr. - May. 2009National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Oct. 2009 - Jan. 2010Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

  • Stylized Sculpture
    © Hiroshi Sugimoto

    Stylized Sculpture

    Oct. 2007 - Jan. 2008Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

  • Fashion in Colors: VIKTOR&ROLF&KCI
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

    Fashion in Colors: VIKTOR&ROLF&KCI

    Apr. - Jun. 2004National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Aug.- Dec. 2004Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

    Dec. 2005 - Mar. 2006Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York [Fashion in Colors]

    May. - Sep. 2007Museo del Traje, Madrid [Modachrome]

  • Visions of the Body
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

    Visions of the Body

    Apr. - Jun. 1999National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Aug. - Nov. 1999Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo

    Jun. - Jul. 2005Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul [Visions of the Body 2005]

  • Japonism in Fashion
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

    Japonism in Fashion

    Apr. - Jun. 1994National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Apr. - Aug. 1996Musée de la Mode et du Costume, Paris (Palais Galliera) [Japonism et Mode]

    Sep. - Nov. 1996TFT Hall, Tokyo

    Apr. - Jun. 1998Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

    Nov. 1998 - Feb. 1999Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklln

    Jul. - Oct. 2003Museum of New Zealand, Te papa Tongarewa, Wellington

    Dec. 2003 - Mar. 2004Christchurch Art Gallery, Te Puna O Waiwhetu, Christfhurch

  • Essence of Quality or Comme des Garçons
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi

    Essence of Quality or Comme des Garçons

    Jun. 1993Wacoal Kohjimachi Building, Tokyo

  • FLAIR: Fashion collected by Tina Chow
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi

    FLAIR: Fashion collected by Tina Chow

    Sep. - Oct. 1992Wacoal Kohjimachi Building, Tokyo

  • Revolution in Fashion 1715-1815
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Naoya Hatakeyama

    Revolution in Fashion 1715-1815

    Apr. - May 1989The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

    Nov. 1989 - Feb. 1990Museum of Fashion Institute of Technology, New York [Ancient Régime]

    Nov. 1991 - Mar. 1992Musée des Arts de la Mode et du Textile au Louvre, Paris [Élégances et Modes en France au XVⅢème Siècle]

  • Mariano Fortuny 1871-1949
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi

    Mariano Fortuny 1871-1949

    Nov. 1985Spiral Hall, Tokyo

  • The Undercover Story
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi

    The Undercover Story

    Nov. 1982 - May 1983Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York

    Oct. 1983Harajuku Laforet Museum, Tokyo

    Nov. 1983Karasuma Hall, Kyoto

  • Evolution of Fashion
    © The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Taishi Hirokawa

    Evolution of Fashion

    Apr. - Jun. 1980National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto in cooperation with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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Collaborations and Loans

In addition to organizing exhibitions, the KCI loans individual items and displays for exhibitions at other institutions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Musée de la mode et du textile in Paris are among the museums that have made use of this service, attesting to the quality of our collection.

Present
Collaborations and LoansCollaborations and Loans
Elegance and Splendor of Art Deco, Moscow Kremlin Museums, 2016
© The Kyoto Costume Institute
KCI Museum MannequinKCI Museum Mannequin

KCI
Museum Mannequin

The KCI dealt early on by enlisting the cooperation of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and developing mannequins with technical support from the Nanasai Corporation, a specialty mannequin maker.

© The Kyoto Costume Institute