Defining Elegance
Set to speak at the Connections International Women’s Day Luncheon this month, fashion legend Yumi Katsura shares her journey and the impact of selflessness.
Yumi Katsura’s fascination with dresses started at a young age, and her first stitch ignited a passion for elegance that would transform Japanese fashion.
Now 93, the world-renowned designer reflects on her experiences and shares advice on finding the right path to success.
How did you get started?
My mother ran a dressmaking school with 2,000 students, and I was expected to take over. We would make everything, from blouses to underwear. It was a two-year course, and we were thinking what we could do for a third year. At that time, in the 1960s, we were starting to see party dresses here and there, but we didn’t have a chance to wear them ourselves. I thought, why not make wedding dresses?
Why wedding dresses?
Because no one else was doing it! I have also loved fairy tales since I was a child. My dad would always treat me on Sundays by taking me to the bookshop. One week I would read The Little Mermaid, the next, Cinderella. I really liked seeing the women in their beautiful dresses.
How tough was it to make your way as a woman in the fashion industry in Japan?
In the first year of opening my shop, in 1965, I had 100 reservations, but faced so many cancellations. The reason was usually the mother-in-law. If the groom’s mother didn’t like the dress, it was hard for the bride to go over her head. They would often say things like, “It’s a Japanese wedding, so a kimono is more appropriate.”
On top of that, Japanese designers were also against me. At that time, you would only wear a kimono or a wedding dress, not both, as is often done now.
That year, I ended up with only a third of my original bookings. In most cases, I had already bought the materials and invested my time into the design.
But I didn’t start doing this for myself or to have a luxurious life. I’ve always done this for others, and I always think about the happiness of others. So I paid my employees and then there was nothing left.
Image of Yumi Katsura: Yuuki Ide
Who has been the most inspiring woman in your life?
It has to be Grace Kelly. At the magazine I worked for, Josei Jishin, I was asked to interview celebrities. I was just starting out as a designer, so meeting Grace Kelly wouldn’t normally have been possible. But through the magazine, she accepted. I also interviewed Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren. These were the three big inspiring names of the time.
Achieving elegance is one of my main objectives when it comes to design, and I think that Grace Kelly is the embodiment of elegance.
How has your time abroad influenced your designs?
Japanese kimonos are elegant, but they’re not suited to modern life. It’s tough to get on the train or wear them while doing other things. I wanted to make a kind of elegance that works today.
I noticed that when it comes to that convenience, the European version of elegance is better. But Japan has good sides too, like the colors and tamoto kimono sleeves. So I made a dress that incorporates tamoto, giving it an elegant silhouette and a Japanese influence.
What has been the highlight of your career?
In 1981, I went to New York for a three-day exhibition with Japan’s top brands. At that time, there were no Japanese designers making wedding dresses, so they wanted me to be involved. I had never worked abroad.
There was a bridal magazine editor and a bridal lead of a big department store. I showed them three of my dresses. They complimented the Japanese silk and told me that my designs were so different from what they had seen in America.
They put my dresses up in the shop windows, but that was the year of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding, where she wore a big romantic dress. My designs were more akin to a mermaid line dress, which is much narrower, so it took a while to take off. People at the time called mine the “Yumi line,” because it was different and a little softer than the usual mermaid dress.
What advice do you have for young women finding their way in creative fields?
There are a lot of jobs in this world, so find what is unique to you and forge your path based on that. If you’re only doing it for yourself, you’ll end up stagnating. Try to do it for others. Do it for Japan, do it for women, do it for others’ happiness. Make that your objective and you’ll find success.
International Women’s Day Luncheon
March 8 | 11:30am–1:30pm
Words: Cassandra Lord
Top Image: Yumi Katsura 50th Anniversary Show in 2015
