“Christian Dior, designer of dreams” arrives in Japan after drawing crowds in Paris (2017), London (2019) and New York (2021).

The Japanese edition, which opens on Wednesday, features 350 haute-couture dresses, including Japanese-inspired pieces displayed in settings aimed at paying homage to Japanese culture.

Architect Shohei Shigematsu created structures including a hall covered with an undulating three-dimensional facade constructed from traditional translucent washi paper glued to wooden frames.

The exhibition "Christian Dior, couturier du rêve" at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art on December 19, 2022 © Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP

Each part of the exhibition features a different interior decoration intended to show various forms of Japanese culture.

“There is a section inspired by a tidy tatami room separated by sliding doors. But not everything is simple and minimal in Japan,” the architect said.

"We have different designs like Japanese gardens and very brightly colored kimonos. I wanted to show sides of Japan that people don't know about," he added.

The house of Dior presented its first show in Japan in 1953, and the designer had a real fascination for the country.

"Dior had a lot of respect for traditional Japanese culture and he wrote it in his memoirs," exhibition curator Florence Müller told AFP.

Visitors at the "Christian Dior, couturier du rêve" exhibition at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art on December 19, 2022 © Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP

"I think there's a mutual fascination between France and Japan," she said.

From the 1950s, Dior also collaborated with Japanese companies, giving them the rights to adapt and replicate Dior styles to suit local tastes.

A sign of the brand's popularity, former Empress of Japan Michiko chose a Dior dress made from Japanese textiles when she married Prince Akihito in 1959.

The Tokyo exhibition, which runs until May 28, includes historic pieces created by Dior, as well as works by more recent creative directors, and features several pieces inspired by Japan.

"This exhibition shows the mutual respect between Japan and France in their approach to craftsmanship, fashion, design and art," Mr. Shigematsu further underlined.

© 2022 AFP