Medium: White and fuchsia polyester and cage crinoline with nylon

Date: Fall 1996

Country: Japan

Credit: Gift of Yoshiki Hishinuma

Yoshiki Hishinuma is best known for complex and innovative fabrics that often combine up to three different techniques. His textiles and designs draw inspiration from diverse cultures, merging tradition with innovation. The polyester fabric seen here combines the traditional Japanese craft of shibori - a tie-dye technique - with a heat-set method that creates added texture. This dress was inspired by nineteenth-century Western clothing, with its high Victorian neckline, decorative smocking, and full crinoline skirt. The skirt has a long train that can be worn one of two ways: folded-up and tied at the waist in a bow, for the Victorian look seen here, or tied off at the shoulder creating an asymmetric drape across the front and back, similar to the draping of a sari.

Object Number: 2007.33.2