Whatever happened to Princess Diana's Yuki Torimaru dress?

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A favourite custom of members of the royal family is to pay tribute to the country you are visiting by wearing a designer and/or colour associated with that country. For instance, in Canada every royal lady, at some point, shows up in red and white, sometimes accessorized with a maple leaf during an official visit. It's almost a cliche.

Diana was no different. While she did try to fly the flag for British fashion when she was at home, on official tours she elevated diplomatic dressing to an art form, paying tribute in a variety of ways:  white dress with red polka dots in Japan, evening dress with embroidered falcons for Saudi Arabia, Chanel for a trip to Paris, Moghul inspired beading for India, and so on. This dress is also an excellent example of it.

It was Lot 68 at the Christie's auction and it is described in the catalogue as 'A Long, Pleated Fortuny-Style Formal Dinner Dress in Royal Blue by Yuki.'

Inspired by the work of Fortuny and Erte, the dress is embroidered at the neck with a yoke of blue bugle beads, which are echoed at the waist with a diamond motif of the same beads. 

While Yuki is a popular designer in Japan, at the time he was little known outside of it. When Diana needed a dress for a 1986 trip to Japan to attend the enthronement of Emperor Hirohito, Yuki was recommended to her and he was asked to submit sketches not long before she was scheduled to leave. Yuki had already prepared dresses with measurements he was able to get from another designer, and when he met with her he brought completed versions in red, blue and white. She chose the blue one. It was a detour from what she normally wore.

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His pride began to evaporate as the tour continued without her wearing his dress. During the highlight of the visit, a banquet with the Emperor, Diana wore Yuki's uncrushable royal-blue dress. Thus raising his profile in both countries. The dress would later be worn during a visit to the English National Ballet in 1990.

There is a copy of the dress in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has an extensive Yuki collection. The original was bought for $25,300 by James Kojima on behalf of his cousin, Akihito Kojima, Principal of  Mejiro Fashion & Art College. In fact, they purchased three gowns. These gowns are carefully stored and brought out each year for the first day of school and special occasions. The college is very selective about who they lend their dresses to but recently they appeared at Kensington Palace for their "Diana: Her Fashion Story exhibit".

© Marilyn Braun 2020

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Sources

The Lady and the Rose - Diana: Her Fashion Story
Gnyuki Torimaru (Yuki) Style Patterns
Designer for a Princess: Yuki Torimaru
Museum of Fine Arts Boston - Copy of dress worn by Diana Spencer Princess of Wales in 1986
Desired Dresses
Designer Yuki Fortuny Pleats with Bugle Bead Panel Gown 1986 Japan
Diana - Her Life in Fashion by Georgina Howell
Christie's catalogue: Dresses from the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales