The exhibition, which is developed and toured by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa, opens on 12 December.

Japonism has already visited major centres around the world, attracting rave reviews. For New Zealand to get an unprecedented second show was due in large part to the quality of the new venue and the high level of interest it has raised, says Director Tony Preston.

“New Zealand audiences were to get only the Te Papa showing, until the Kyoto Costume Institute became aware of our new gallery,” he says. “They were extremely impressed with the new facility, allowing us with the support of Te Papa to secure the exhibition for the Mainland.”

Japonism in Fashion includes more than 100 garments, fabrics and accessories by the leading names in fashion over the last 150 years, including Charles Frederick Worth, Madeleine Vionnet, Mariano Fortuny, Coco Chanel, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, Issey Miyake, Gucci, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Junya Watanabe for Commes des Garçons.

“From the opulent, intricately patterned kimonos adapted to Victorian and Edwardian taste, to cuttingedge fashions from the catwalks of Milan and Paris, Japan has influenced fashion the world over,” says Mr Preston. “This show provides an extraordinary opportunity to trace the path of the West’s ongoing fascination with the East.”