
The "2014 Yumi Katsura Grand Collection in Tokyo" was held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. This marked the brand's 50th Tokyo event, showcasing 97 new pieces under the theme "Hana Yume." The show kicked off with the brand's latest collection, which was unveiled at the Paris Haute Couture Collection in January. This included a silk smooth dress featuring a shrimp pattern, adapted from an Edo-period kabuki motif from the Tokyo National Museum's collection, and bridal gowns incorporating the unique beauty of Japanese elements such as yuzen dyeing, silk, and washi paper. Other pieces included a glow-in-the-dark dress showcasing the three cities of Paris, New York, and Singapore, where the Association of Asian Haute Couture held its inaugural show. Another collection evoked the world of the Great Gatsby of the 1920s, featuring wedding dresses, hair, makeup, and headpieces featuring Art Deco geometric patterns and haute couture embroidery. Guest models this time included Tomomi Kahara, Crystal Kay, Emiri, Rina Fujii, and Angelica Michibata. Following on from last year, Yokozuna Hakuho and children from Fukushima who evacuated to Tokyo following the Great East Japan Earthquake also made appearances. "With the marriage rate declining and casual weddings on the rise, we wanted people to have dreams and aspirations for marriage, so we held the event on a Sunday for the first time, hoping to reach as many people as possible. We also had Tomomi Kahara and Crystal Kay appear so that it would appeal to women in their teens and twenties, and we had the producer of Tokyo Girls Collection produce it," said Yumi Katsura.
Also, Kahara Tomomi, who appeared in a white dress decorated with large roses, said, "I've dated many men up until now, but I've never seriously thought about marriage. But now, when I put on a dress, for the first time I felt like I wanted to get married. When I wear a dress, I can see a world I didn't know existed, and I can picture my future. I want to do my best and get married," which got the audience excited.































