Oriental fashion is a source of great inspiration for designers all over the world in all historical epochs and during all currents of costume, from the days of the East India Companies, from the unscrupulous and unscrupulous trades along the Silk Road, to the present day. It is the charm of the colors skillfully blended and artfully shaded by master oriental dyers, it is the essential and exquisite illustrations, and finally it is the wonderful silks. All this is the charm of the East.

Original androgyny

Unlike Western fashion, which tends more to emphasize and enhance the female figure, Eastern fashion focuses more on pure aesthetics and linearity of form. In fact, the Kimono is essentially made up of five rectangles of different sizes. One rectangle for the back, two rectangles for the front and neckline, and finally, two rectangles for the sleeves. The shape therefore is here reduced to the essentials. And it is the same for both men's and women's clothing. 

It is a message of original adroginia. A concept this also underlies the stylistic choices of the greatest made-in-Italy master King Giorgio, namely Giorgio Armani, who with his deconstructed jacket has brought forms back to the essentials and equality between men's and women's fashion. Other big names in world fashion wanted to measure themselves against the challenge of the apparent simplicity of the kimono, creating original collections that were sometimes even excessive. These include John Galiano who in the spring/summer 2007 haute couture collection for the maison Dior reproduced a version of the Madame Butterfly, and then also Gucci, Versace, Etro and many others.

The 2022 Kimono Collection

The Mela Wedding Kimono Collection also takes its cues from the same Eastern tradition and makes the shapes linear and essential, thus enhancing color in its purest essence.

Indeed, the Marea Kimono is an example of craftsmanship, fiberart, mixing transparency and matte, tone-on-tone, and glowing a deep blue.

It was made with antique cottons and an original artistic technique that is the intellectual property of the brand.

The Mela Wedding atelier measured itself against the apparent simplicity of this garment, wanting to make its own contribution to the aesthetic and experimental research of Italian fashion.

Link to the 2022 Kimono Collection

Thanks to The Academy of Costume and Fashion for advice and wonderful collaboration in bibliographic research that enabled me to write this post.