Captivated by the graceful prints decorating the ground floor of the villa Les Rhumbs in Granville, Normandy, the young Christian Dior developed a genuine admiration for the cultural richness of Japan. He saw the country as a place of fascination(s) that he would continue to evoke through a number of alliances forged with renowned houses and partners from 1953 onwards. These companies were officially authorized to create designs based on patterns provided by 30 Avenue Montaigne and adapted to the style of Japanese women. Perpetuating this affinity, Monsieur Dior’s successor, Marc Bohan, presented the Dior autumn-winter 1964 collection in Tokyo and Osaka. The House’s Creative Directors ensured that this everlasting passion lived on: Maria Grazia Chiuri paid homage in turn with the Dior Fall 2025 show, held in the heart of the emblematic gardens at the historic Toji in Kyoto.

Under cherry blossoms in full bloom, models appeared in looks that expressed the essential symbiosis between French tailoring savoir-faire and the principles of construction specific to the kimono. Playing with length, volume and texture, jackets embodied their alchemical encounter, by turns enhanced with ethereal fringe or belts delicately accentuating the waist. That influence was likewise found in wraparound trousers that draped the silhouette with precision while also revealing bold asymmetrical effects.

Conceived to accompany a body in motion, pieces featured ultra-contemporary details borrowed from sportswear, such as drawstrings, clasps, straps and zippers. Reflecting that hybridization, the quintessential denim jacket took on the shapes typical of Japanese attire, as did knitwear inspired by the meticulousness and rigour of origami. Echoing Christian Dior’s love of flowers and gardens, the vegetal realm – sketched, embroidered and dyed – blossomed on dresses, tunics, bomber jackets and coats, forming a distinct language through prisms of poetry and emotion. Revisiting an archival print first used on the Jardin Japonais ensemble for spring-summer 1953, Maria Grazia Chiuri invited master kimono dyer Tabata Kihachi to transpose a cherry-blossom motif using his unique composition and technique, thus showcasing the timelessness of the Edo-era dyeing process called Kyo Yuzen.

Like an ode to a collaboration begun in 1954 between Christian Dior and Tatsumura Textile – historic silk jacquard weaving ateliers founded in Kyoto in 1894 – this Dior collection unveiled creations that honoured these iconic fabrics. Motifs identical to the ones chosen by the founding couturier more than 70 years ago attested to the ongoing transmission of an artistic process and a shared quest for excellence.

The complex, transparent colours of dyes made by Fukudaki – which for three generations has preserved and developed Japanese textile traditions – illustrate the multifaceted beauty of these ancestral specialized crafts. Extending the collection’s lexicon, footwear subtly punctuated the looks. Ballerina flats were elevated with ribbons that accentuated the ankle or transformed into supple boots. Sandals were embellished with braided leather or featured thick soles recalling traditional Japanese geta. Decorated with cherry-blossom branches in flower, the Dior Book Tote became a framework for floral arrangements in tribute to the virtuoso art of ikebana.

As a final surprise, the kasa hat – an accessory deeply rooted in Japanese history and reinterpreted for the occasion by the Tokyo-based milliner Sawa Vaughters – punctuated selected silhouettes.

A moment suspended in time, commemorating an exceptional, foundational and visionary union between Paris and Kyoto.