THE FASHIONISTA BIBLE · JAPONISTA UNIVERSE
Hanae Mori: The Butterfly of Paris
Hanae Mori was born in 1926 in Yoshika, in western Shimane Prefecture. In 1951 she opened a dressmaking shop, Hiyoshiya, in Shinjuku, and its work for the film studios of Japan’s cinema boom made her one of the country’s most successful costume designers.
She presented haute couture in New York in 1965, and in 1977 became the first Asian-born member of the Paris Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Her emblem was the butterfly, taken from the cabbage whites she watched as a child in Yoshika, and it travelled across her prints, silks, jewellery and labels. She retired from Paris couture in 2004 and died in 2022, aged 96.
For collectors the butterfly-print silks, scarves and boutique-label pieces of the 1970s to 1990s are the heart of the archive. Japanese department-store ownership tends to keep such pieces clean and carefully stored, so well-kept examples surface here more often than elsewhere.
The Hunting Salon™
If you are looking for a particular Hanae Mori silk, season or size, the Hunting Salon™ can assist discreetly with search, verification and shipping.
Curator’s note: Mori sits beside Kenzo Takada and Issey Miyake in the first wave of Japanese designers to reach Europe. Continue with the Fashionista Bible, the directory of Japanese fashion designers and the collector guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hanae Mori butterfly?
A recurring motif inspired by butterflies she saw as a child, carried across prints, jewellery and labels.
How is condition described?
Every piece carries a Japanese condition rank from N to C, explained in Japanese Condition Ranks Explained.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes. Duties vary by destination; see Import Duties on Luxury Goods from Japan.
Index terms: hanae mori · hanae mori butterfly · hanae mori silk scarf · hanae mori vintage · japanese couture · first japanese haute couture designer · chambre syndicale japan · japanese fashion pioneers
