The blossoms in Tokyo have cued the arrival of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana presented their latest international iteration of the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda couture collection at the Tokyo National Museum.

On a runway whose centerpiece was a transplanted in-bloom cherry tree, the designers showed 50 womenswear looks and 45 menswear looks to an audience of local influencers, existing local clients, and members of the international clique so dedicated to Alta Moda that they flew in from China, Hong Kong, Russia, and beyond.

Domenico Dolce said, “We have not been to Japan for nearly 30 years, which is far too long. This is a special, one-off collection dedicated to this country, but, of course, Italy too. It is an in-our-imagination collision of the two places.” Thus the blossoms, and their signature shade, loomed large in a collection marked by precision suiting and decadent accessories for men, and hand-painted, richly furred, lavishly laced, and swoon-worthy, seductive pieces for women.

The designers kept the two genders separate on their runway out of respect for Japanese mores: The men were shown as the amuse bouche and with women as the main event. Unlike all other flown-in shows, here the cast was predominantly Japanese. “What’s the point if we travel all the way here and show the same thing in the same way as we would in Milan?” said Gabbana. “This is Japan and we want to show our respect for this place.”

Go backstage and discover the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria runway show at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo.