BENGALURU: Miho Sakata Malhan, a Japanese expat living in Bengaluru from 2005, hardly wore a kimono growing up. Or for that matter, she hardly saw her mother wear one either. But her love for textiles and culture got her curious about it, and last month she had an opportunity to wear a yukata (casual summer kimono that is relatively easy to wear) just before temporarily returning to Japan.
With compliments coming her way, she decided to explore a few shops in Japan and entered a thrift store in her hometown of Fukuoka. Needless to say, she was like a little girl in a candy store. She managed to pick a few for herself and also showed off her shopping haul to her mother. That’s the moment her mother revealed that there were old kimonos and obis (a wide sash or belt made of satin or a stiff silk material worn around a kimono) which she had neatly preserved for many decades. “I had not seen my mother in a kimono since I was a child. I thought she must have gotten rid of them when we moved houses,” says Malhan with a laugh.
Malhan recalls that moment as discovering a closet full of treasure. “The two suitcases were truly treasure chests! Kimonos and obis created with advanced techniques, such as Shibori, Kasuri, and Kyoto-Yuzen, were crammed into suitcases! Most of them had been kept for half a century, had never been worn, and were in pristine condition,” says Malhan.
Married to an Indian and an avid saree lover, Malhan sees the similarities that the handlooms of both cultures possess. Through the exhibition Comparative Exhibition of Kimono and Saree: Journey of Textiles between India and Japan, she highlights those similarities. “One of my mother’s kimonos had a print which was very similar to Indian ikat. In another example, the pattern on pure silk and indigo-dyed Shibori (tie-dye) is similar to the dancer’s top on the mural in Ajanta caves,” explains Malhan.
Amid rapid westernisation, Malhan hopes to bring awareness about traditional and Japanese textiles. “Many of my close friends in India are also very interested in the Japanese lifestyle and traditional culture. I strongly wanted these people to see these kimonos. That’s why I decided to hold this exhibition. Kimonos, obis, and haoris brought back from Japan will be displayed side by side with sarees made with the same techniques. The purpose of this exhibition is to visually capture the ‘connection’ between Japan and India,” says Malhan, adding that it will be a smallish event at her residence, but with plans to take it forward in the future.