Parisian fashion house CELINE enters the fray with an exhibition that asserts its place among the season’s most anticipated showcases. In the heart of the France Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025, CELINE unveils a poetic fusion of heritage and couture with a temporary exhibition. It's curated as part of LVMH’s contribution to the France Pavilion, under the Expo’s overarching theme of “A Hymn to Love.” This immersive encounter invites visitors to explore how CELINE's storied heritage intertwines with the refined sensibilities of Japanese aesthetics.

CELINE’s quiet affinity with Japan runs deeper than surface influence. The House has long embraced the country’s aesthetic codes—clean lines, understated luxury, and meticulous attention to detail—which are mirrored in its own design ethos. Since first setting foot in Japan in 1970 with its boutique at Sun Motoyama, CELINE has cultivated a relationship with the country that goes far beyond commerce. From runway shows in Tokyo to featuring dedicated kimonos and pearl collections to locally televised fashion events, the brand has long looked to Japan as both muse and market. The country was also the first in Asia to launch CELINE’s e-commerce platform.

In recent years, monumental flagship stores have opened in Ginza Six, Omotesando, and Osaka Midosuji—some of the largest CELINE spaces globally—offering immersive experiences that blend architectural clarity with retail precision. With nearly 40 selling points nationwide and denim proudly made in Japan, CELINE’s presence continues to evolve in step with the country’s renowned craftsmanship and sartorial sensibility.

The CELINE exhibition centres around the Japanese art of Maki-e. One of the most exquisite forms of decoration, Maki-e is a delicate artistry inspired by the lyrical beauty of Waka poetry from classical Japanese literature, making each piece a fusion of culture and artistry. This exhibition stands as both a tribute to Japanese craftsmanship and a reflection of CELINE’s enduring bond with Japan.

In the coastal town of Wajima, where Japanese lacquerware or urushi runs as deep as legacy, Hikoju Makie stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Founded in 2004 by the late master artisan Takashi Wakamiya, the collective of urushi artisans has become a vanguard of contemporary Japanese lacquerware, preserving centuries-old techniques while pushing the boundaries of what urushi can be.

The exhibition features a rare collaboration between CELINE and Hikoju Makie. The House's Triomphe emblem is rendered not in monogram or metal, but in gold and silver lacquer dust delicately brushed onto natural wood—a technique that demands time, precision, and meditative craftsmanship.

Through this medium, CELINE reimagines its iconic Triomphe motif not as a logo, but as a spiritual emblem that's infused with subtle grace and symbolic resonance. It’s a rare gesture from a French fashion house by not merely adopting another culture’s artform, but uplifting it, giving it space to breathe within the luxury lexicon.

But the magic doesn’t stop at lacquer. In a triumvirate of exclusivity, three limited-edition Triomphe bags stand as wearable works of art. Each bag bears its own number, features a gold stamp, and showcases plum blossom motifs as a symbol of endurance and renewal. Not only are the bags lined in lambskin and crafted from Niloticus crocodile leather, they are as tactile as they are transcendent. 

Adding a cinematic layer are two short films by visual artist Soshi Nakamura. Hands at Work offers a behind-the-scenes meditation on the act of making. Filmed across Kanazawa, Japan and Radda in Chianti, Italy, it captures the shared spirit of craftsmanship between the Japanese and French ateliers. Meanwhile, Ten Landscapes of Dreams plays on a mirrored LED screen, transporting visitors into a surreal and symbolic journey through Japanese terrain. There, the Triomphe motif drifts like a memory across misty mountains and ever-changing skies, deepening the dreamlike atmosphere.

The installation becomes more than a showcase. It’s a statement about the value of slow beauty, the respect between cultures, and the timelessness of true craft in an age of instant consumption.

The CELINE Maki-e exhibition within the France Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025 is currently running until 11 May 2025.