Film production: Yuta Oda (Oda Photo Studio) Music: Shunsuke Okuchi Logo design: Yosuke Nakanishi (STUDIO PT.) Production: Iwami Art Museum

Overview

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Hanae Mori’s birth, we are pleased to present the first large-scale retrospective since her passing.

Beginning her career in 1950’s, Mori flourished as a designer while also fulfilling the roles of wife and mother. During Japan’s period of rapid postwar economic growth, she rose to prominence through her work on film costumes. Balancing a thriving professional life with family responsibilities, she became a pioneering figure of a new generation of women.

In 1961, Mori introduced a new way of living that she called the “Vital Type”—a vibrant, dedicated, and forward-looking woman, reflecting her own approach to life.  She enjoyed international success, making her debut in New York in 1965 and in Paris in 1977. Throughout her life, she remained deeply devoted to creation.

Not only was she the first Japanese designer to successfully establish her brand on the international stage, but she also worked to elevate fashion literacy in Japan by launching fashion magazines and documenting shows. Her commitment to showcasing the craftsmanship of Japanese textiles and artisans through her work helped communicate Japan’s refined technical skill and aesthetic values to the world.

This exhibition explores Mori’s philosophy of life and creativity through approximately 400 works, including haute couture dresses, photographs, and archival materials.

Click here（PDF:2,327KB）

Key features of the exhibition

Highlight 1: Dresses by Hanae Mori, the First Asian Official Member of Paris Haute Couture, on Display Together

A selection of haute couture dresses created by Hanae Mori over 17 years from 1977—her lifelong artistic pursuit—will be exhibited. These one-of-a-kind pieces, crafted with top-quality materials and exceptional techniques, offer a firsthand experience of Mori’s aesthetic sensibility and creative vision.

Highlight 2: Original Textiles Crafted with a Commitment to Japanese Materials

As Mori expanded her activities to the United States, she incorporated traditional Japanese textiles such as obi fabrics and silk—refined through kimono culture—into her creations. Her original fabrics, made by printing vivid patterns onto high-quality silk, gained attention as expressions of Japanese beauty. This exhibition highlights the textiles themselves, showcasing how their qualities were utilized in the garments. Also on display are newly discovered original fabric designs and test prints.

Highlight 3: Dresses Returning Home from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

A special display will feature dresses by Hanae Mori on loan exclusively from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This “homecoming” exhibit highlights a piece that reflects Mori’s international recognition, particularly during her time in the United States.

Highlight 4: Building an Information Infrastructure for Fashion

In addition to publishing and film production, Mori pioneered fashion communication by creating her own platforms, such as the Hanae Mori Building. These initiatives helped spread the allure of fashion and established a robust infrastructure for its communication. Her groundbreaking efforts in this field will be introduced.

Exhibition Sections

1. Hanae Mori in Japan (1947–)

This section focuses on Hanae Mori’s early years as a designer. In addition to examining Mori’s work as a film costume designer, the displays explain how she balanced the roles of wife and mother, and introduce her concept of a lively, empowered woman, which she referred to “vital type.”

2. Hanae Mori in America (1961–1976)

This section details Mori’s determination to expand her activities abroad after traveling to France and the U.S. In addition to showcasing her use of Japanese materials and her success in New York, there are works that are making a return visit to Japan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

3. Creating a Fashion Information Infrastructure: Publishing, Visual Media, and Creative Platforms (1966–)

This section examines how Mori branched out beyond her brand by, among other things, launching Ryuko tsushin magazine, producing fashion TV programs, and building the Hanae Mori Building in Omotesando. These efforts established a network for sharing information and nurturing fashion culture in Japan.

4. Hanae Mori in France: Haute Couture (1977–2004)

In 1977, Mori became the first Asian to join the Paris Haute Couture Syndicate as a full member.  This section focuses on Mori’s creative endeavors based on haute couture techniques and materials, which gave her pleasure and a new purpose in her life.

5. Collaborations with Artists

Features collaborations with diverse artistswho were adherents of Mori’s work, including model Hiroko Matsumoto, graphic designer Ikko Tanaka, and photographer Ikko Narahara.

6. Epilogue

These interviews with Mori’s family and friends provide insight into the designer’s true nature.

Exhibition catalog

Exhibition catalog　

[Period][Opening Hours][Closed Days][Venue]

［Period］　September 20 – December 1, 2025

［Opening Hours］　9:30-18:00（last entry 30 min. before closing）

［Closed Days］　Tuesdays (except September 23), and September 24

［Venue］　Gallery C・D

Admission fee

Adults 1,300(1,050) yen, University Student 600(450) yen, Free for High School Student and younger

*Prices in parentheses indicate group discounts (available to 20 or more people).
* International visitors are eligible for a 50-percent discount when presenting a valid passport or residence card.
*You can also view the concurrent collection exhibition

Related programs of the exhibition

We will let you know as soon as it’s ready.

Exhibition Catalog & Related Merchandise

We will let you know as soon as it’s ready.

For the Press

Press Release

◎[Special Exhibition]HANAE MORI Vital Type:The 100th Anniversary of Birth:Press Release　

→　Click here（PDF：1641KB）

[Organizer] [Special Cooperation] [Cooperation][Support]

[Organizers]

Iwami Art Museum, Cultural Foundation of Shimane Prefecture, Nihonkai Telecasting Co., Ltd., The San-in Chuo Shimpo Newspaper Co., Ltd., The Chugoku Shimbun, Executive Committee for Promoting Regional Attractions and Attracting Inbound Tourism through the Hanae Mori Exhibition

[Special Cooperation]

Hanae Mori Office

[Cooperation]

Hanae Mori Fashion Cultural Foundation, INFAS.com, MN Interfashion Co., Ltd., Nikkatsu Corporation, Art Tower Mito

[Support]

Council for Interact with Arts and Culture, Japan Broadcasting Corporation Matsue Station, Matsue Bureau, The Mainichi Newspapers Co.