Cartier is standing with women. As it did for Expo 2020 in Dubai, Cartier is curating the Women’s Pavilion for Expo 2025 in Japan, in partnership with the Japan Association and the Japanese government.
“The Women’s Pavilion in Dubai, a part of Expo 2020, was never meant to be a one-off, one-of-a-kind experience,” explained Cyrille Vigneron, chairman of Cartier culture and philanthropy via email. “We wanted to show, through our actions, that a Women’s Pavilion makes sense at every World Expo. It is an honor for Cartier to once again partner with the World Expo.”
The theme for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
“The Women’s Pavilion will celebrate all women, and the role they can play, together with committed men, in shaping our common future,” Vigneron explained. The 2025 pavilion’s motto is “Living Together, Designing Together, for the Future.”
Inside Cartier’s Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Victor Picon/Cartier
The Women’s Pavilion will be one of the few thematic pavilions — outside of the country-specific ones — and will be situated next to the Japan Pavilion. “This is an important symbol showcasing the Japanese government’s support of women’s empowerment as a key societal topic,” Vigneron said of the location. “As we saw in Dubai, we look forward to various countries’ delegations, individual visitors, families and schools visiting the Women’s Pavilion, taking the opportunity to reflect on their own commitments to contribute to gender equality.”
The facade of the space is Kumiko-inspired, envisioned by renowned Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama, serving as a symbolic bridge between tradition and modernity. According to Cartier, the structure has been repurposed for its second installment in Japan, embodying the Compagnie Financière Richemont’s brand’s commitment to sustainability and craftsmanship.
Inside, visitors will embark on an immersive journey curated by artist and global artistic lead of the Women’s Pavilion, Es Devlin. She envisions World Expos as “a collection of unique instruments, where each pavilion serves as a musical instrument that communicates its message well beyond its initial six-month lifespan on the global stage.”
Highlights include Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase lending her directorial expertise to a prelude movie; French actress, director and artist Mélanie Laurent explores themes of women’s empowerment through portraits, sculpture, soundscapes and virtual reality; landscape designer Toshiya Ogino brings the natural world into focus with a sustainable garden, featuring local vegetation that reflects Japan’s changing seasons, and Sacai creative director Chitose Abe was tasked with creating the uniforms for the Women’s Pavilion attendants, meant to embody harmony and modernity.
Inside Cartier’s Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Victor Picon/Cartier
On the second floor, a communal space where conversations, panels and exhibitions will unfold around key global challenges including discussions on six pivotal themes: mother nature, business and technology, education and policy, arts and culture, philanthropy, and roles and identities.
“Cartier has always been a curious maison, interested in the many cultures of the world,” Vigneron said of the theme of collaboration within the pavilion. “To discover and understand the world, the maison believes in open agoras, allowing for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints with artists, architects, academic researchers and social entrepreneurs, amongst many others.”
Since 1987, March has been recognized as Women’s History Month. News of Cartier’s plans comes in the lead up to International Women’s Day, which has prompted a flurry of activity by global brands related to women’s issues, several of which will also be taking part in Expo 2025.
