It was also associated with Bohemianism. The 19th century actress Ellen Terry wore a kimono backstage, when greeting guests in her dressing room.
Alexander McQueen helped Bjork create the iconic cover of her 1997 album Homogenic and the film Memoirs of a Geisha fostered even more interest in the garment, while they were also a favourite of the German-American actress and singer Marlene Dietrich.
“Freddie Mercury had hundreds of kimono, some of which he wore on stage, but some he wore at home like the one we have in the show. For him it was a way of transcending cultural identity but also sexual identity,” Ms Jackson said.
Far from being a traditional unchanging garment, the kimono has continued to evolve, and is enjoying a revival on the streets of Japan thanks to a new generation of contemporary designers and stylists.
Here in the UK, it has been a fixture of fashion for more than a century, and the trend continues on the catwalk and at music festivals.
Although the show hasn’t been made in-house, it’s an important one for V&A Dundee, which was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in 2018.
“It’s lovely to be hosting it,” said Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee
“We feel like we’re a little bit of Japan by the banks of the Tay.”
