Sailor Moon wears a dress inspired by Andrea Palladio through a Dior couture creation

About ↓ · Palladio, Dior and Princess Serenity ↓ · What Harper’s Bazaar Japan says ↓ · Visit La Rotonda ↓

ABOUT

There is a rather lovely reason for Sailor Moon fans to visit Vicenza.

Princess Serenity’s white gown, with its instantly recognisable curled sleeves and long, flowing skirt, has a surprising connection to Andrea Palladio, the Renaissance architect whose villas made this Italian city famous. In 1992, Gianfranco Ferré created a white haute couture dress for Dior and named it Palladio. Its sculptural details and classical silhouette would find their way into Naoko Takeuchi’s illustrations of Princess Serenity. [1][2][3] For anyone who has loved the character since childhood, the story now has a place to visit. Villa La Rotonda, one of Palladio’s most celebrated buildings, welcomes visitors to discover the architecture behind the name. [6][7]

PALLADIO, DIOR AND PRINCESS SERENITY

The resemblance is easiest to spot in the sleeves. Their sculpted curls recall the spiral ornaments of an Ionic column, while the long pleated skirt follows the vertical lines of classical architecture. Ferré, who had trained as an architect, made the original Dior gown in white silk georgette, with elaborate embroidery and pleating. [1][2]

Naoko Takeuchi was famously fond of fashion. Teen Vogue has documented how she borrowed ideas from the couture collections of Dior and Chanel when dressing her characters. For Princess Serenity, she adapted Ferré’s design, keeping the distinctive shoulders and graceful silhouette that made the Palladio gown so memorable. [3][5]

And Palladio himself? He was born in 1508 and spent much of his career in Vicenza, where his architecture can still be enjoyed today. At Villa La Rotonda, the curled capitals of his Ionic columns offer a particularly beautiful detail to compare with Princess Serenity’s dress. [6]

WHAT HARPER’S BAZAAR JAPAN SAYS

Harper’s Bazaar Japan calls Gianfranco Ferré “the architect of fashion” and gives special attention to his Palladio dress, パラディオ・ドレス, in its history of Dior.

The magazine describes the long white georgette gown, with its embroidery and pleats, which was exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The museum confirms its origin: Gianfranco Ferré for Christian Dior, spring/summer 1992 haute couture, from the collection Au vent léger d’un été. [2][4]

The dress also caused a stir among Japanese Sailor Moon fans. In December 2022, ITmedia ねとらぼ reported how a visitor to the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition in Tokyo had spotted the gown that inspired Princess Serenity. Photographs circulated online, attracting more than 21,000 likes by 25 December, along with delighted reactions from fans who immediately recognised the connection with 美少女戦士セーラームーン. [3]  The Japanese coverage also points out that Takeuchi’s illustrated dress differs from Ferré’s original in several details, although the inspiration is easy to recognise.

VISIT LA ROTONDA IN VICENZA

If you are visiting Vicenza, bring a picture of Princess Serenity’s dress with you.

Villa La Rotonda has four magnificent porticoes, each with six Ionic columns supporting a triangular pediment. Look up at their capitals and you will see the characteristic scrolls that also appear in Ferré’s couture design. [6] The villa, set on a hill just outside Vicenza’s historic centre, is open to visitors. You can explore its gardens and interiors, join a guided tour or enquire about a private visit. [7]

 

Villa La Rotonda

Via della Rotonda 45, 36100 Vicenza, Italy

WhatsApp: +39 351 7922118

Email: prenotazioni@villalarotonda.it

 

日本からの読者へ ·  

『美少女戦士セーラームーン』に登場するプリンセス・セレニティの白いドレスは、1992年にジャンフランコ・フェレがディオールのために制作した「パラディオ・ドレス」から着想を得ています。

その名前の由来は、イタリアのルネサンス建築家アンドレア・パラーディオ。彼の代表作「ヴィラ・ロトンダ（ラ・ロトンダ）」は、ヴェネツィア近郊の街ヴィチェンツァにあり、実際に見学できます。

セレニティのドレスを思い浮かべながら、イオニア式の柱の美しい渦巻き装飾を探してみてください。見学やガイドツアーについては、ヴィラへ直接お問い合わせください