JAPAN: Figure skater Miki Ando models a wedding dress studded with over 13,000 Mikomoto pearls

Record ID: 466129

  • Title: JAPAN: Figure skater Miki Ando models a wedding dress studded with over 13,000 Mikomoto pearls
  • Date: 15th February 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 15, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) JAPANESE FIGURE SKATER MIKI ANDO WALKING TO STAGE WEARING PEARL WEDDING DRESS VARIOUS OF ANDO IN PEARL DRESS AND PEARL ACCESSORIES STANDING ON STAGE JAPANESE FASHION DESIGNER YUMI KATSURA EXPLAINING HER CREATION (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 25-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE FIGURE SKATER MIKI ANDO SAYING: "I feel happy as though it's my real wedding day." FLOWERS EMBROIDERED ON DRESS WITH PEARLS PEARL NECKLACE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 25-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE FIGURE SKATER MIKI ANDO SAYING: "It's very heavy, which makes me sense the weight of the determination, honesty and love that people would devote to their weddings." PEARL DECORATION ON DRESS ANDO MODELLING PEARL DRESS WITH KATSURA SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE FASHION DESIGNER YUMI KATSURA SAYING: "I have long wished that I can somehow show the world the beauty of Japan at this hard time for the country." ANDO POSING FOR MEDIA FLOWERS EMBROIDERED ON DRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES MORE OF ANDO POSING FOR MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 1st March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Fashion
  • Reuters ID: LVA11Y77BXYII6MKFZLGRHF0D95Q
  • Story Text: Japan's figure skating sensation Miki Ando took swapped her usual attire for thousands of pearls on Wednesday (February 15) as she modelled a wedding dress at a promotional event in Tokyo.
    Christened "Princess of Mikimoto Pearls", the wedding dress features 13,262 Akoya pearls, all cultured by Japan's premier jewellery maker Mikimoto.
    Ando, the twice world champion for women's figure skating, said she fully enjoyed her first bridal experience.
    "I feel happy as though it's my real wedding day," the 25-year-old said while wearing the dress.
    The white gown, which Mikimoto has no plan to retail, is worth 35 million yen (446,000 U.S. dollars).
    The thousands of pearls, with sizes varying from 3 to 10 millimetres (0.12 to 0.39 inches), made the dress weigh up to 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds) -- twice as heavy as an ordinary wedding dress.
    Pearls over 8 millimetres (0.31 inches) are considered to be premium, but the special dress includes five 10 millimetre pearls which are "very rare", Mikimoto said in a news release.
    Ando said the weight of the dress reminded her of the importance of getting married.
    "It's very heavy, which makes me sense the weight of the determination, honesty and love that people would devote to their weddings," Ando said.
    Designer Yumi Katsura said she believed the iconic Japanese gems helped send a positive message about her country, which has suffered since the earthquake and tsunami which hit in March last year.
    "I have long wished that I can somehow show the world the beauty of Japan at this hard time for the country," Katsura said.
    The designer plans to display the pearly wedding dress on her fashion runway at the Tokyo Dome next week.
    Mikimoto, whose founder Koichi Mikimoto succeeded in creating the world's first cultured pearls in 1893, has been known for its popular pearl jewellery, often favoured by royal families and celebrities.
    A 16-inch Mikimoto pearl necklace was given to film star Marilyn Monroe by her husband and baseball star Joe DiMaggio on their honeymoon in 1954.
    Mikimoto was marked as the world's top-10 luxury jewellery brand in the World Luxury Association's 2012 report.
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