Yumi Katsura cannot move mountains, but she does pull heartstrings. On this spectacular night, she had staged a mock Japanese wedding, sent her girls down with the national flag of Singapore, and strut the runway to a standing ovation.
Her guests were treated to elaborate doses of kimono knots, cascading drapes and incandescent ribbons. She was dreaming of a masked ball, and one might appreciate the fact that the spectacle staged is both a collection of abundance and complexity.
And she did this time – maybe even better than her previous Fide appearance; the romance concocted here is one part Japanese poetry, one part couture wonderland. The recurring motifs of kaimon insignia, bamboo screen prints and graceful cranes impart a sense of reminisce of forsaken myths.
Beautiful as the collection was – and ending with classical and traditional Japanese wedding gowns, Katsura made every single girl crave the endeavors of tying the knot then. There is something so utterly impressive about couture handwork that makes one awe-struck.
The cocoon of drapery carefully maneuvered onto the model’s body is a testament to Katsura’s unyielding take on this waning skill – a delicate yet robust body of work. What connects us to this old craft is her clarity and steadfastness, and innocence in portrayal of what defines “couture”.
So when Katsura took Haute Couture back to Fide this year, she revived an interest in the old ways; the ways of the forgotten past and a future of possibilities.
Photography by Ee Shuen
