SAVOIR FAIRE TATSUMURA / © Sophie Carre © Maya Michiki

An interview with our president, Iku Tatsumura, has been featured in “Woman”, a popular online media outlet for women in Spain. In this interview, Mr. Tatsumura discusses the future initiatives of Tatsumura Art Textiles and his vision for expanding overseas. Please take a look.

The interview page on “Woman” can be found here
*The linked site is an external Spanish-language website.

The following is an English translation of the Japanese translation of the article published on the linked site.

The historical relationship between the French maison “Dior” and the renowned Japanese silk weaving workshop “Tatsumura Art Textiles”
From its inception to the present day, Dior has repeatedly incorporated Japanese culture and the craftsmanship of Japanese textiles into its designs. Behind this lies a decades-long close relationship with Tatsumura Art Textiles, a connection that has broken down the boundaries between East and West and brought a historical and cultural perspective to fashion.

To understand the relationship between Dior and Tatsumura Art Textiles, we must go back to the post-war period. It all began with Christian Dior’s strong interest in Japanese culture and his desire to incorporate Tatsumura Art Textiles fabrics into his collections, even though he had never visited Japan. From that moment on, a close bond was formed between the French couture house and Japanese weaving techniques, and a few months ago, nearly 80 years later, this bond was once again made clear.

At the 2025 Fall Collection show held against the backdrop of Toji Temple in the heart of Kyoto, Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri paid homage to Japan’s “savoir-faire.” For this special collection, Tatsumura Art Textiles collaborated with modern trends, successfully creating something new while respecting tradition and paying homage to the unique aesthetic sensibilities and sensitivities of Japanese artisans.

Founded in 1894, Tatsumura Art Textiles is a renowned textile manufacturer that not only restores ancient textiles housed in the Shosoin Repository in Nara but also creates one-of-a-kind artistic textiles. With the three core principles of originality, restoration, and aesthetic sensibility, the company has grown into one of the world’s leading textile manufacturers.

― Originality, restoration, and aesthetic sense are the three pillars of Tatsumura Art Textiles. How are these values carried forward today?

The philosophy of Tatsumura Art Textiles is for customers to purchase our textiles and actually use them. We want them to feel how happy using our textiles can make them. Seeing people feel joy and happiness through using our art textiles is our greatest joy and the core value of our company.

― It has been over 130 years since Tatsumura Art Textiles was founded. How has the technology evolved? Are there any techniques that you still use today?

Initially, we wove fabric by hand using manual looms. However, with the introduction of new technology, the work has been computerized. Design has also changed from using pattern paper to digital. Although the pace of digitalization has been slower than the general IT industry, we have successfully transitioned to digital processes. However, our approach to textile manufacturing has remained fundamentally unchanged. We prioritize creating designs that bring joy to people and continue to develop them. While we could use data to automatically generate designs, we also maintain traditional handcrafted techniques. Therefore, our founding philosophy remains unchanged. Our goal is to bring happiness to those who use our textiles. To achieve this, we continuously consider what kinds of textiles people are interested in and develop designs based on that insight.

— In 1953, when Christian Dior held a fashion show in Japan, the first-generation Tatsumura Heizo proposed the patterns that Dior would later use. How did art textiles come to be used in the fashion show?

Christian Dior was known as a pioneering European brand that held its first fashion show in Japan in 1953. At that time, our company proposed dozens of types of textiles, and Christian Dior, who believed that Japanese textiles were widely accepted around the world, selected several of them and adopted them for the following year’s fashion show. This became a significant opportunity for Japan to engage in economic transactions with the world, helping to revive its culture and economy, which were still recovering from the effects of the war at the time. Christian Dior was very interested in Japanese culture and, although he was unable to visit Japan, he wanted to introduce Japanese textiles to Western countries. In this way, our company continued to adapt to modern styles, and our textiles have remained modern for over 70 years.

― For the 2025 fall collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri wanted to choose two patterns, but what challenges did you face in making that selection?

We believe that adapting to the trends of the times is an inevitable path. For this show, we focused on current trends, replaced some of the colors and materials used in the past, and created a more subdued style than before. This change was not easy to achieve.

— How would you compare the design and functionality of 1953 and 2025?

The 1953 design was very beautiful. The silver had a high gloss, the dark blue was vivid, and the gold had a strong shine. In terms of weaving, it was initially hand-woven and later machine-woven. The 2025 design is part of a collection, so it is more fashionable and easier to wear. The silver is more subdued compared to the 1953 version, and we mixed it with other color tones to create the color scheme.

― How is Japanese culture reflected in the designs featured in Dior’s fashion shows?

Christian Dior had a keen interest in Japanese culture from a young age, so he respects and skillfully expresses Japanese culture in both craftsmanship and design. For example, kimonos. Kimonos are not just clothing, but also how they are worn and how they are dressed. Japanese culture was one of the important sources of inspiration for this fashion show.

― Please tell us about the importance of obi production today and what it symbolizes.

Hand-woven obi have been a product of our company since its founding. We create, design, weave, and manufacture all kinds of fabrics, but when we reach a dead end in production, we look to past designs and samples to create new designs. Obi are a symbol of Japanese beauty and elegance. They originated as simple cords, but over time, various decorations, patterns, and colors were added, leading to the obi we know today. This is the history of kimono, I suppose. I sometimes wear kimono, and I am always complimented on it wherever I go in the world. In that sense, obi, like kimono, have a unique power.

— What are the future prospects for Tatsumura Art Textiles?
To continue creating new designs, developing new fabrics, and restoring ancient textiles. Not only as clothing or interior decoration fabrics, but recently we have also begun expanding into artistic works. By doing so, we aim to expand the opportunities and experiences of providing our textiles to people worldwide, thereby enriching their lives. We will continue to strive to evolve as a silk textile workshop.