Little known on the western hemisphere, Japan Fashion Week spent its fourth season in Tokyo in March 2007. Marking a new stop in SHOWstudio’s fashion itinerary, Penny Martin was there to uncover the creative output of a country whose aesthetic legacy has informed some of the most striking evocations of form to be displayed on the global catwalk.
[more]
This was Mon Tsuki's first (mens) show at Japan Fashion Week and my last. Black nylon suiting with patent piping around the seams, brown,shiny 'thinsulation' fabric puffas and super tight trousers abounded (boy, do they like a contoured crotch in Tokyo, it seems!). Chocolate-coloured patent is not a common sight in fashion and let me tell you, it wasn't unwelcome.
Comment on article (4)
For 10 years, from 1966, Jun Ashida was the exclusive designer to clothe Japan's Emperor's wife, Michiko. She was in attendance at his lavish show at the Grand Hyatt this afternoon, along with 'representatives of 31 countries of the world', several of whom stood up when introduced on a loudspeaker and we all clapped! I once saw Marc Almond's seat collapse at a show, but today was certainly my most unusual celebrity spot!
Comment on article (1)
There were some dubious styling choices in this first on-schedule show from Ele Tra, though fur leggings might be an interesting solution to limbs that are 'inbetweeny', as they say in waxing salons? Sounds like the dark world of Margiela, I know, but it jarred against a collection that appeared to be aiming for the effortless glamour of 60s leisurewear as opposed to anything humorous or odd. The main problem, though, was again the fit. Those (Eastern European?) models were drowning in shift dresses and cropped jackets that looked grandmotherly, as opposed to chic or sporty.
Comment on article (0)
A slick, commercial show with plenty international appeal from G.V.G.V. to end the penultimate day.
Comment on article (0)
My first response was to dismiss these Lolitas (as they are known out here - you may recall them from the Hot or Not? project) as grotesque caricatures of femininity. How could the bizarre creatures in the first sequence of floral dresses be the work of designers capable of such subtlety when it comes to Menswear? But as the models proceeded to come down the runway in these draped jersey numbers, with their pleats gathered and 'sealed' with a foil motif like a wrapped bar of soap, it was clear that a complex and sophisticated point was being made. The hauteur and grace with which they modelled slightly matted looking furs to the tune of Bach's Air on the G String was just bewitching. As with Nabokov's Lolita, you found yourself being won over by a persuasive 'narrator', completely against your will. Not since Viktor & Rolf in the good old days have I experienced such a challenging and compelling show without having a clue as to its meaning. Bravo!
Comment on article (3)
This was a rather fabulous show of two halves. Designers Akira Takeuchi and Tayuka Nakanishi -who worked for Comme and Vivienne Tam respectively before setting up together- produce two discrete lines: a menswear one under the above KTP name and 'Theatre Products', a women's line, more of which later. The KTP half was a homage to early 90s Seattle chic, complete with a band playing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on bassoon (as good as it sounds, since you're ask!). With skater humour to match the checked fabrics, comedy hats and slacker styling, KTP also interspersed the models with confused-looking older men that looked like they'd mistakenly stumbled onto the catwalk. Albeit wearing a fuschia cable knit jumper...
Comment on article (0)
We have a bit of a story for you! Limi Yamamoto, Yohji's daughter, will be showing in Paris next season. Having designed under her own name for the past 4 or 5 years, she showed off-schedule as 'Limi Feu' tonight, where her PR-to-be in Paris, Nathalie Ours, excitedly confirmed the rumours. The pre-show atmosphere was markedly heightened among a blue chip audience containing Yohji himself and his retired dressmaker mother. It's difficult to say what the international press will make of collections bearing a distinct resemblance to a stripped down, lighter version of early Yohji. But a local journalist made an analogy of Tao and Comme: that the former evoked the spirit of the latter but brought it contemporary relevance to a younger audience. What would Kawakubo San have to say about that?!
Comment on article (0)
Sadly, I have to inform you that it was not Araki on the front row of Limi's show, much as I'd love it to have been! Apparently, that was Kodan Nanbu from Tokyo Shock Boys, who is a good bit younger, but with less gray hair. Sorry for the misinformation: I got caught up in the excitement of Araki possibly dressing like that!
Comment on article (0)
A snowy inspiration created a perversely summery palette of whites and creams in Suzuki's romantic collection of layered and distressed tailoring. Think: S/S '03 McQueen meets Robert Cary Williams at his best. When swinging these big trapeze shapes off underlying corsetry, though, the fit has to be good, bordering on sadistic. Suzuki San might do well to consider lacing them in a bit tighter!
Comment on article (0)
This guy seems to be the premier catwalk photographer and fashion paparazzo.
Comment on article (0)
We have a saying in Glasgow for things that privilege appearances over substance: 'All fur coat and nae knickers!'. In Emiko Miki's show this morning, however, I actually witnessed the real thing. Or at least, we were intended to believe there were no smalls under a sandy fur trench with a painted panel emblazoned on the back. This mirrored the LED screens inset into the bags and belts: less hi-end wearable technology than kitsch, retro mini TVs, stuck to a belt. This crotcheted bride may look pretty and demure, but the overall effect was not. When former LA costumier Miki herself came down the runway dressed as the Snow Queen in a white fur trimmed cape to collect the many spontaneously thrown bouquets at the end of the show, the theatrical moment was complete. 'She must have blown the budget on the accessories' quipped a journalist sitting next to me as they closed their notebook, gravely.
Comment on article (0)
Though not showing on the official JFW timetable, on the recommendation of our FORUM's Turbo, I stopped by at the Whereabouts showroom for an appointment with the company's designer Hidetaka Fukuzono (that's him in the background - the well informed among you will know he studied in Antwerp). His 'classroom collection' of beautifully made menswear -particularly the suiting and scooped neck, raglan sleeved sweatshirts- were in fact based on cornflowers rather than school uniforms. Apparently here the blooms symbolise education, trust, sensibility, gratitude, happiness and innocence. All the values we too treasure at SHOWstudio. Good call, Turbo!
Comment on article (1)
The best way to describe Toshikazu Iwaya's show is being like the kinds of fashion shows you see in films. That is, fashion as people who aren't in the industry imagine it to be: all big hats, poufy sleeves and pom poms. Speaking back stage, the designer said that Dresscamp's otherworldly aesthetic is achieved through the filter of art, with specific focus on the circular form. The menswear was better, displaying an unusual proportion with the very tight, ankle length trousers and all the knee high riding boots and 'Edwardian Gent' accessories.
Comment on article (0)
It was Sarah from Colette's recommendation that Isetan is probably one of the better luxury department stores in Tokyo, so we went for a look first thing this morning. Interesting to see how focused it is on Western brands (Lanvin, Balenciaga, Margiela, Chloë...) though Comme, Watanabe and Undercover were also in evidence. There was an interesting 'intellectual world of Raf' display in the window of the menswear wing. Note Nick's shot on the cover of the Yohji monograph (second shelf).
Comment on article (0)
The Guts boys put on quite a show, perhaps not The Greatest one On Earth, as the soundtrack suggested, but have you ever seen models behaving like these?! If I'm honest, it's quite often that I come out of a show complaining that the models looked like men in drag (you'll have to guess which!). But in this one, they employed real trannies, to the apparent rapture of the audience: my interpreter assures me they're quite commonplace here, however. I should say the men prancing around here are models (though there is some chatter of them being a boy band - really?). Oh, yeah, nearly forgot the clothes -bondage trousers, jean jackets and trenches and underwear printed in this natty GDC design. But then again, so did they!
Comment on article (1)
We've been looking at some of the key shopping districts -in the interests of research you understand- and made the pilgrimage to La Foret: the nexus for all Harajuku fashion kids. It's probably the most interesting assortment of boutiques under one roof we've seen: particulary impressive was the menswear in Side by Side. If it felt like a roll call of all the 'directional' London designers -Cassette Playa, Kim Jones, Deryck Walker and Marios Schwab among them- it's hardly suprising as Nicola Formichetti is the shop's creative director.
Comment on article (0)
Menswear-into-womenswear was the theme of Ato Matsumoto's accomplished collection (of both) that displayed plenty other aspects of contemporary international women's fashion: the volumatic upper body with skinny undercarriage, tunic tops over leggings and the drop shoulders beloved of Mrs Prada and Mr Pilati. But the skinny heels reminded you of the late 90s and put one in mind of Mr Lang (Helmut, that is), which is a mighty comparison no designer would wish to unwittingly invoke. Great to see such a polished show though, from the heir to the Pioneer electronics firm, no less!
Comment on article (0)
As I mentioned, Somarta were big on the old crystals. Note also the 'crystal body' film playing in the background.
Comment on article (1)
It is hard to square Né-net designer Kazuaki Takashima's inspiration -boredom- with the fun show he put on this afternoon. I had to bin the first two films I took since all you could hear was me laughing through them! The local journalists didn't need the set explained to them- the little white head 'masks' the tiny mannequins are dressed in are 'Teru Teru Bouzu', tissue balls that all Japanese children make to wish for a sunny day. In one of the funniest fashion show moments I have ever witnessed, a tiny (two year old?) real child, dressed in the same costume came running around the runway in the dark before the show began, as if one of the statues had come alive. The clothes, said Takashima, were based on the happiness that can be found in mundane routine, such as the dogged folding of origami papers that informed the super hooded coats with tree or bear motifs, worked in with origami-shaped patches. The final 'whisky' slogan T-shirts refer to the word people chorus in Uruguay when they take a photo.
Comment on article (0)
It's no news that the Japanese know how to entertain visitors from overseas but the grand opening of JFW last night would take some beating. Pictured here are the local firemen (really) who put on a show to 'bring success' to the proceedings. If that and a sushi banquet weren't enough, then the Prime Minister showed up followed by a procession of flunkies that looked like Ocean's 11. Beat that British Fashion Council!
Comment on article (0)
This was Keiichi Muramatsu and Noriko Seiki's first official runway show, having previously presented their knit-based fashion in installation form. The duo explained backstage that the first two sections of their love-inspired collection had been based around the sepia hues of Atget prints of Paris. This created a difficult palette for their cotton macs, woolen shorts and romper suits: more tricky terracotta than pretty flesh tones in truth. A stronger red and black sequence started to inject some power when quite unexpectedly, three white, frilly, short knit dresses arrived to propose something altogether more exciting. It was an intriguing ending that asked the question: why spend so much time wading through the commercial looks when you've got something far more innovative to express?
Comment on article (0)
If setting their show in a well-known Shibuya bookshop was meant to make their models appear demure, charming and bookish, then tonight's outing of charming, schoolgirl chic worked for Mint Designs. Sweet though never cloying, they defied expectations of a print-dominated collection, which was balanced with some light knitwear and interesting ruffled-sleeve jackets. The most striking emphasis was on the tension between presence and absence, however: indeed the show was entitled 'happy accident' and its ticket showed the outline of a missing figure. This was played out using different kinds of devore techniques. At times it was a pattern etched into the pile of velvet; at other times it was the 'flocked' detail on hosiery. Here the company's logotype creates the white, verticle stripe. In other places, the same repeating figure frieze was embroidered onto trouser legs or across these lacy masks. Kamo got out his trademark Vaseline skincare for a sheeny skin and but for the rather heavy-handed book hats, Mint Designs was a near perfect end to a long, long day.
Comment on article (0)
Norio Surikabe previously worked for Romeo Gigli -and produced lines for Corso Como- before establishing his own line in 1999. What looked today like rather conservative, if well made, office wear from the front, turned out to be rather more interesting from behind. The narrow, rounded shoulders of the woolen coats had a curved line of ingenious pleats under the armhole (is there a name for those?) that gave the fabric subtle movement when the models walked. Support Surface needs the help of a stylist, though, if their (perfectly nice) classical suiting and knits are to appeal to an international fashion audience that are very well served on this front by the ubiquitous Emporio Armani.
Comment on article (0)
One of the journalists that travelled to JFW in Tokyo last year -Andrew Tucker- was right on the mark in advising me what to expect from a young fashion week like this one (into its 4th season in its present form, having been known as 'Tokyo Collections' for the previous 20 years). He said that for each designer showing in Tokyo, there is a London equivalent: an Elspeth Gibson, say, a Robert Cary Williams or a Caroline Charles. No designer likes to be viewed in terms of another, of course, and certainly we've already noted a rather singular mode of presentation at Mercibeaucoup. But for the sake of shorthand -and remember, I'm texting this with extreme jet lag!- you might say Hisui was exploring similar deconstruction vs draping territory as Preen has in recent times. Note also the penchant for tableaux, with pairs of models removing volumatic clothing -ruffled and pleated wool coats- and placing it on stands to reveal slashed and strappy jersey dresses and separates beneath.
Comment on article (0)
Not only were the -principally Western- models smiling, they erupted into a full-blown, Bernhard Willhelm-style finale. Even the designer herself came out with some moves! Blimey!
Comment on article (0)
The first show of the week is by all accounts one of the highlights. Mercibeaucoup is one of the designers under the Issey Miyake umbrella (along with Tsumori Chisato who now shows in Paris) and as such is among the more established brands, stocking in Hong Kong, Taiwan and later this year, Bon Marche in Paris. Eli Etsugi's enigmatic show notes explained that as her inspiration for the collection had been 'connections', her motif was mushrooms (as in their spread). This was manifest in a lighthearted presentation of colourful knitwear featuring polkadots and said mushroom emblems, squeezy, nipple-like caps (much like those at Comme last week) and tulip-shaped skirts, caught up with rope belts. There was also cropped, puffa trousers and print hoodies for men. A special mention should go to Kamo's bobble hair and polkadot make-up: better known in Europe as the man who does Watanabe's hair, the stylist is fantastically imaginative. Had he, I wonder, seen Eugene Souleiman's hair for Peter Jensen's 'Cindy' collection, though?
Comment on article (0)
Little known on the western hemisphere, Japan Fashion Week will spend its fourth season in Tokyo this month. Marking a new stop in SHOWstudio’s fashion itinerary, Penny Martin will be there to uncover the creative output of a country whose aesthetic legacy has informed some of the most striking evocations of form to be displayed on the global catwalk.
Comment on article (0)
