Synopsis

Mori Hanae, who was active as a Paris haute couture designer, was affectionately known by the nickname “Madame Butterfly,” inspired by the butterfly motif that symbolized her brand.
 
Born in Shimane as the fourth of five siblings, she experienced the hardships of war and married at the age of 22. She entered the world of fashion after beginning to study dressmaking in order to make clothes for her unborn son.
 
At 25, she opened a custom-made Western clothing shop called Hiyoshiya in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and also worked on costumes for films such as Taiyo no Kisetsu (Season of the Sun) and Sanma no Aji (An Autumn Afternoon), helping to establish the importance of costume design in the Japanese film industry.
Later, while visiting New York in the United States, Mori witnessed Japanese-made clothing being treated as inferior products, leading her to resolve to introduce Japan’s traditional aesthetics and outstanding craftsmanship to the world.
 
This work depicts her little-known struggles, from her childhood to her eventual expansion onto the global stage.