V&A Dundee revealed a custom-designed kimono inspired by the Fortnight singer’s music which will go on display to fans from Friday. Scotland’s design museum commissioned designer and Glasgow School of Art graduate, KellyDawn Riot to create a kimono depicting each of the singer’s eras. The hand-illustrated velvet kimono takes inspiration from Swift’s songs as well as the museum’s current major exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk.
The piece features individual collages to represent each era, using the colour schemes associated with each album. The front of the kimono features a snake associated with the album Reputation and butterflies from the 1989 album. The back panel of the kimono takes inspiration from Taylor Swift’s latest album The Tortured Poets Department, including mentions of roses and gardens from the lyrics of songs Clara Bow and I Hate It Here.
Designer, KellyDawn Riot, said there was a lot of inspiration to draw on when creating the digitally printed piece. “Fans will be able to spot lots of lyric references within the pattern on ‘The Eras Tour’ Kimono, including an homage to her love of felines with a crescendo of colourful cats covering the back of the kimono. “This was such a fun project to work on and I can’t wait to hear what people think when they come to see it at V&A Dundee,” she added.
The reveal comes just one week before the global superstar is set to perform three sold-out shows when she brings her Eras Tour to Murrayfield Stad.
