Gemma Kahng (1954). American designer. Born in Korea, now a naturalized American, she creates clothes mainly for a woman engaged in work. Her models are practical and comfortable without surrendering to a touch of sensuality. Her purpose is to combine…

Rei Kawakubo (1942). Japanese designer. She is Madame Comme des Garµons, a griffe established in 1969. She was born in Tokyo, the eleventh of october 1949, where she began her career in fashion working in a textile company. In 1981…

Barry Kieselstein-Cord (1948). Creator of jewelry or, as he calls them, “body sculptures.” His ambition is to free jewelry from fashion trends, and to combine evocations of the past with suggestions of modern art. An example are his buckles inspired…

Traditional Japanese garment. It is still used, especially during official ceremonies. Soft and loose, with characteristically large sleeves, it is fastened around the waist by a broad sash (obi), measuring 76.2 inches in height and 3.66 yards in length, often…

Alberto Korda (1928-2001). Cuban photographer whose real name was Diaz Gutièrrez. Very famous for being the official photographer of Fidel Castro since 1959, as well as for taking the most celebrated picture of Che Guevara and being the main correspondent…

An artisan’s technique of Japanese printing created with small wooden molds. It was very successful in the West in the late nineteenth century and was reproposed by designers such as Kenzo and Kawakubo.

German hosiery company, the European market leader. It produces the brands Hudson, Kunert, and Silkona. In 1990 it started an acquisition strategy, beginning with Burlington. The group also owns a jeans line. It employs 4,000 people.

This is the first Japanese museum entirely dedicated to fashion. The Western clothing industry came into being with the arrival of the first foreign ships when Kobe’s harbor was opened in 1868. This met with the demands of European and…