December 3rd, 2009 - Volume 14

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS

 JAPAN-FPO
 

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS Volume 14 - Index

Rise of "fourth generation" designers

Young designers watch the world from bases in Tokyo

Young designers aiming at "Post-Street fashion" are drawing attention at Tokyo Collection. These "Fourth Generation" have been bravely trying new mode, which is not staying in only clothing field but crossing over arts and culture. After graduating fashion schools at top honors and getting prizes at overseas contests, they dared to choose Tokyo for setting up their bases. What are they expecting to see in the future?

The designers I call "Fourth Generation" are Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi of "mintdesignes", Kanya Miki of "KOSMETIQUE LABEL/EKAM", MIKIO SAKABE, AKIRA NAKA, Yoshikazu Yamagata of "writtenafterwards", Hidenobu Yasui, and Kentaro Tamai of "ASEEDONCLOUD". Many of them came back to Japan and opened bases in Tokyo after studying at famous fashion schools abroad such as Central Saint Martins in London or Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, and achieving excellent results at famous contests like ITS.


Some intellectuals complain about it, "Once you have ever achieved good results abroad, you should work in London or Paris, the key cities of fashion, like former famous Japanese designers did. It might be hard now, but is good for the future. Staying in a comfortable home country is disadvantage for you."
On the other hand, I look at this differently. The trend of fashion business around the world had drastically changed in the past decade. Key cities of fashion are not only Paris, Milano, London and New York anymore. Now everyone knows that Tokyo is a source of inspiration for world-class designers, and also rising of Shanghai and Hong Kong will be a matter of time. There is scarcely advantage of spending hard times in other countries anymore.
The first generation are represented by KENZO, ISSEY MIYAKE, Comme des Gar?ons, and the second are YOSHIKI HISHINUMA and MASAKI MATSUSHIMA, the third are UNDER COVER and A BATHING APE which created a furor of Street Fashion. There is a big difference between the fourth generation and the previous generations.
Designers in the fourth generation are aged around thirty now. When they turned teenagers and awaked to fashion for the first time, there was a trend of Street fashion which was made in Japan. That made them different from the third generation. The fourth generation does not have a special interest in Western mode and trend, but they rather have interests in comics, comedy shows and games. They bring these Japanese-born cultures into their creation and use it as their power. Such a method of creation is the thing they learned in schools in Europe.
The fourth generation's designers are rather tough and strategist, on top of that, they have a stronger upward mobility. By seeing designer brands suffering in the battle with Fast fashion, the young designers know a futile competition and investment close the door to success. They understand Tokyo has an impact to the world's fashion industry and try to use it. Asked the reason to open an office in Tokyo, Mikio Sakabe answered, "Staying in Tokyo is easier to catch people's attention than staying in chaos in Paris. Also, Japan is rich in materials."

In this Tokyo Collection, writtenafterwards exhibited a collection of using only 50 meter cloths, following to last year's collection of duct tapes and waste materials. These extreme collections expressed a strong opposition to the "fashion = clothes" stereotype. But, at the same time, it seemed these collections reflected the designer's frustration over the low status of clothing in "fashion", what is more, his frustration with the fact that "fashion" itself is losing its influence to society. Fashion is now going into new era on such a fragile status. That is why I want to check a movement of the fourth generation.

Seminar at Japan Apparel Technology and Research Association

Japan Apparel Technology and Research Association (JATRA, President: Jiro Shimizu) is an industry group that consists of apparel companies, industrial sewing machine companies, accessory material companies like needles and fasteners, and individual members. The association conducts apparel-related work such as deciding JIS, and organizing seminars, and so on.
It held a seminar under the theme of "China plus One: Current conditions of sewing industry in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh" on October 21th at Edo Tokyo Museum. A hundred audience including planners and sales representatives from apparel companies attended the seminar.
According to the data gathered in 2008, 94% of the garments sold in Japan were overseas production, and 92% of these garments are made in China on a quantity basis. For several reasons such as recent rising labor cost in China because of economic growth, and conclusion of AJCEP (ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership), garment production areas have started shifting to countries in Southeast Asia. In the seminar, Mr. Akira Yamada, a former president of JUKI Vietnam, talked about current status of Vietnam, and Mr. Yasuhiro Shoda, a professor at Bunka Women's University, talked about sewing industry in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh, and Mr. Jiro Shimizu, a president of JATRA and a professor emeritus at Tokyo Institute of Technology who established theory of ultrahigh-speed fiber spinning, talked about actual conditions of China where he visited recently.

JAPAN-FPO members' shops opened in a department store in Shibuya, Tokyo

The sales of department stores and mass retailers have kept declining for the last twelve, thirteen years. Industry reorganization and closing of shops in deficit become more common in these days. On the other hand, new shopping styles such as suburban stores, specialty shops, malls, and TV shopping, online shopping are becoming bigger business. Under these circumstances, department stores started bringing out up-and-coming designers' brands to put brakes on slowdown in sales. A JAPAN-FPO member "suzuki takayuki" opened a permanent boutique in PARCO Part 1, a department store in Shibuya. Also, another member of FPO, MICHAIL GKINIS's "aptform" opens a limited time collaboration store with Raphus cucu, JNBY, PRESENT, HISUI, and mamani from November 2009 to February 2010.

Hot news ranking of Japan's fashion
- October 16 to November 15-

The last big collaboration in '09 "JIMMY CHOO for H&M" received the most attention in this month in Japan.
New shops of foreign brands have been opening one after another in an inner-city in Tokyo. Seeing as most of them are flagship shops, the brands seem to put an expectation on Japanese market, including tourists from China.
The second biggest news was mintdesigns' face mask made by collaboration with Asahi Kasei Corporation, a major fiber maker in Japan. People said it is difficult to make this mask into a salable product, so this success proved a fundamental power of the brand.
The market is still in a severe condition, but each brand keeps a positive attitude for overcoming as creating a unique sales tactic.

#1. Ultimate collaboration was released, a long queue formed for H&M plus JIMMY CHOO!

A fast-fashion brand H&M and a high-end accessory brand JIMMY CHOO collaborated to produce "JIMMY CHOO for H&M". It was released at noon on November 14th 2009.
The extremely limited collections were reserved untouched until its opening day. Even the staff at H&M and the celebrities invited to the reception on the eve of the opening day were not allowed to buy anything beforehand. Since it was a rare opportunity to get such a high-fashion designer's bags and shoes at reasonable price, people formed long queues from the previous day in front of four shops of them in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Ginza.

#2. mintdesigns' face mask finally came to commercialized, initial sales started at Product Fair

One of the stand-out brands in Tokyo Collection "mintdesigns" had a product fair at Shibuya Parco from November 20th, in which it showed its industrial products but not clothes as its main goods. An advanced polyester mask, "to be someone", which was introduced at Autamn/Winter 2009-10 Collection for the first time, was also to be released in the fair. This nanofiber mask using Asahi Kasei Corporation's "SMASH" was shaped as "ideal balanced pretty face" or "chimpanzee face" and sold at 2,940 yen each. It will be exhibited at TOKYO FIBER '09 and will be sold at "merci", a specialty store in Paris. It is a hot item both in Japan and abroad.
Also, in the fair, many limited items were sold, such as tops and wrap skirts which were using shining "polyester-silk" introduced at Autamn/Winter 2009-10 Collection. PVC-processed computer cases and camera straps created by collaboration with MEDICOM TOY Corporation were also sold in the fair.
mintdesigns Product Fair:
November 20th - 29th 2009 at mintdesigns garage store in Basement Floor, Shibuya Parco Part1

#3. NIKE's biggest flagship store in Japan made its grand opening in Harajuku

NIKE Japan opened "NIKE Flagship Store Harajuku", the first in Tokyo and the biggest in Japan, in Omote-sando, Harajuku on November 14th 2009.
A preview party was held on November 11th, and a former professional baseball player, Hideo Nomo, and many other guests were invited. They designed shoes and donated them for celebrating the opening. Those shoes are displayed at "NIKEiD STUDIO" in the shop as the first "Hall of Fame".
Also, at the party, 11 athletes and artists introduced special shoes each created by collaboration with NIKE. NIKE was inspired by 11 different passions for sports and created these special models. They are to be sold at the store in series from the opening day.
"NIKE Flagship Store Harajuku" aims to be a store that offers the customers inspiration of sports by a good service and interactive store display.

#4. JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN starts ladies wear

#5. UNIQLO prepares 37 styles in 23 colors this year, aims to sell over 50 million!

#6. High school kids coordinate their school uniforms on the net at will

#7. "GAP Flagship Harajuku" opened in front of Harajuku Station, started to sell GAP x Stella McCartney

#8. Women's dream brand "Christian Louboutin" showcased men's shoes

#9. MONCLER released Men's new line by visvim, "MONCLER V"

#10. First-run printing of a million! An Yves Saint Laurent magazine with a tote bag is on sale