Speaker: Sarah Quinton (SQ)

SQ: The original prototype for the kimono came to Japan during the 6^th century with Chinese explorers. Kimono developed into a form of dress for both men and women, though sumptuary laws restricted certain colours and styles to the nobility. In the 19^th century, during the Meiji period Japan's isolation as an island was broken by the American navy under Admiral Matthew Perry, who compelled the nation to open its borders. Today, kimono has come to embody a concept of “Japaneseness” rather than of social distinctions.