Kimono Expert

Dr. Sheila Cliffe, known as Kimono Sheila, is a kimono expert and professor emerita of Jumonji Gakuen Women's University. She has been featured as a speaker on the kimono and its fashion history throughout Japan and abroad, and has written numerous publications and bookings in English and Japanese. Her book, Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present, explores both historical and modern fashion trends in kimono and profiles kimono wearers in Japan and internationally. One of Dr. Cliffe's current projects, "The Kimono Closet" takes readers inside the closets of kimono wearers, exploring their fashion pieces and the wonderful stories attached.