7 years ago I began to advance in this fashion world by wanting, with all my heart, to make the young Japanese bride even more beautiful. Today, I take care of young brides all over the world, from New York to Paris. I am therefore especially honoured to be awarded today this "Grand Prize Triumph of European Excellence" because this very fact makes me aware that, also abroad, my merits in the development of the "Art of the Wedding Fashion" is not only recognized, but greatly appreciated.

However, on the other hand, the very fact of being crowned by a foreign organization and not by an association of my own country - Japan - is somewhat disappointing to me and I draw from this the impression that my merits have been both recognized and appreciated abroad, before being it in my own country. But as the proverb goes : "Nobody is a prophet in his own land" !

Therefore it is a special honor that I, Yumi Katsura, should receive today this "Grand Prize Triumph" from the Committee of European Excellence with the title of "Personality having worked for the promotion, internationally, of European Culture".

 
The trophy which represents "La Renommée".

The award ceremony :

Dr. Louis-Marc Servien, Comte de Boisdauphin,
Mr. Olivier Giscard d'Estaing, chairman,
Mrs. Yumi Katsura.

Founded 18 years ago, the Committee of European Excellence did indeed choose as its objective to propagate European culture in the whole world. Until today more than 100 personalities and/or companies have been awarded this distinction.

During a somptuous presentation of the Wedding Fashion in the ballroom of the New Takanawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, on the 12th and the 13th February 1991, the evening program was followed by the "Bal des Debutantes" (Debutantes' Ball) attended by numerous personalities, among them several ambassadors and their wives, as well as the sister of H.M. the Emperor of Japan, accompanied by her husband.

At the end of the fashion pageant, the president of the Committee of European Excellence described with eloquent words the many merits of the receiver mentioning among other things that the Grand Prize Triumph had been awarded to her as "an homage for introducing in Japan the Western Wedding Ceremony and also for combining European Elegance with the originality of Japanese models." He also congratulated Mrs. Yumi Katsura for her international position, being now at the apex in the world of Wedding Fashion".