Meng Kimonos: The Art of Silk

Posted on May 1, 2014

By Arwa Lodhi

When does fashion become art? The artist paints on rough canvas, creating images that inspire and delight. But British based designer Meng paints on the most luscious silks–silk kimonos, to be more precise.

Her works are inspired by Oriental mythology, art and architecture from around the world, and of course, the splendour of nature. From cherry blossoms and Edo era wave prints to ferocious dragons and other mythic creatures, each hand-painted Meng kimono is a work of art, worthy of wearing for special occasions like wedding nights, hanging up in your house as a wall hanging, or just enjoying as a sustainable luxury garment ever day at home.

But it’s not only the designs that are an art: the flowing shapes and flattering silhouettes offered by these unique kimonos is a kind of art in itself. Of this, Meng says: “Our starting point with every garment is the print. We are inspired by art, in particular beautiful Oriental masterpieces, and our main aim is to take these traditional inspiration points and translate them for a modern lifestyle with a contemporary twist. We are also very influenced by our travels and have a very global outlook to our garments to appeal to an array of women. The prints then inspire the shapes of our garments – which I like to think as sculptural.”

The brand has ambitions to bring its artistic beauty beyond kimonos: “Our loungewear is just the start for us. This year we will also be launching women’s ready-to-wear and our accessories line of scarves and bags. We are also looking forward to going on sale in five different countries with stores including Selfridges and Neiman Marcus and our cushions go on sale in Gracious Home in New York. We are also taking the collection to Paris again this summer to meet with the international buyers and press so it’s a very busy and exciting time for us”.

This is definitely one of the most exciting, all natural brands we’ve seen hit the mainstream in awhile, and as soon as Meng’s newest collection drops, we’ll be sure to cover it here!

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Chere Di Boscio

Founder & Editor in Chief at Eluxe Magazine

Chere has always loved writing, fashion and languages, and holds degrees in Psychology and Art, and postgraduate degrees in Applied Linguistics and Education. Her long career in journalism spans several continents: she’s edited and written for prestigious magazines in Toronto, Dubai, Paris, London and Buenos Aires. Learn more about Chere’s extensive career on LinkedIn.

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