MARCH 19, 2009 - Volume 2

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS

 JAPAN-FPO
 

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS
Volume 2 - Index

The first lady's cardigan

The day of Barack Obama's official inauguration, Michelle Obama wore a yellow cardigan - its knitting yarn was made in Japan.
This yarn was made from a rarity value of African mohair, and has less than a half of usual thickness using advanced technology.

Japanese textiles are made from traditional artisans; on the other hand, some are made from advanced technology such as non-sewing knit.
Japanese textiles are highly valued in the world, which tells Japanese textile companies find happiness to improve their techniques. It is highly valued and a high status to develop difficult manufacturing processes and techniques which to respond to hard requests for Japanese designers.

Amazingly, some technicians can tell how much water in a piece of wool by touching it!! They believe that a soul will resin in each piece of cloth by mastering their techniques In this year, 90 parties attended Pr?t a Porter Paris. Among that, 11 parties were Japanese designers. The one common thing I can say among those designers as well as COMME des GARCONS and ISSEY MIYAKE is that they design clothes which make fabulous Japanese textiles out stand.
As western children grow up surrounded by historical arts and buildings, Japanese children grow up surrounded by houses or products made from natural materials. Our sense is built by materials, not works of art.

Japanese teenagers are one of the most spending people for fashion. As you can see from that, we are influenced a lot from various fashion textiles from younger ages.
This is the reason to say "Japanese fashion focuses on textiles"
Japanese designers focus on to show a harmony of body and material; not to show clothes.
You can tell the difference by touching Japanese products. These are more "alive" in real life; not on a stage. It is not like an art of sculpture which has its own value, it is like a craft object which out stands the material.

I do recommend you to visit Japan, talk with designers, and feel their energetic spirits. If possible, I would also like you to visit textile manufactures.

Because it is Japanese customs to not show off themselves, our communication techniques are not well developed. However, next generation designers who can express their opinions are now being grown up.

COLLECTION SCHEDULE

»COLLECTION SCHEDULE 2009 A/W

Up-and-coming designers





Brand name:
everlasting sprout
Designer:
Keiichi Muramatsu

"everlasting sprout" is a brand which is mainly producing Ladies' knitwear. This brand name includes a meaning that a knit wear can be made by one string. The designer, Mr. Muramatsu, says, "We want to produce things with the sense of reaching toward hope like sprouts grow toward sunlight, especially in these hard times."
Mr. Muramatsu joined a project in LINEAPIU, an Italian thread company, in 2003 as an intern. This company was famous for developing young staffs, and recruited about five people from around the world every year until 2003 as "Master LINEAPIU". He was involved in actual business as one of the last members of this project.
After returning home, he established "everlasting sprout" in 2005, and in July 2008 he won a prize at "Woolmark prize" which restarted after 35 years of absence. He also participates in the exhibition "Atmosphere-COMING SOON" held in Paris in 2009. This year will be the 5th time for this brand to attend at JFW in Japan. He will have a spatial installation expressing human's inner world with the theme of "Misty Blue" for celebrating humanity which reaches toward hope and brightness.
The production bases of "everlasting sprout" are in Japan and China, and the number of consignment distributers is nearly 20 including the ones in Taiwan and Russia. Such as organizing knitwear workshops and opening special shop for a limited time in Laforet Harajuku, this brand is expanding its activity widely.

JFW: March 25 (WED) 11:00am at Bunka Fashion Collage
Exhibition: March 30 to April 2
Place: LAPIN ET HALOT 5-44-2 Jingu-mae, Shibuya (Note: B1F on only April 2)
Time: 1pm - 7pm (March 30), 11am - 7pm (March 31 & April 1), 11am - 6pm (April 2)
Contact to: Clown Ltd. 5A Muramatsu Bldg. 1-21-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0051
Tel: 03-3746-1365
Fax: 03-3746-1366
Email:info@everlasting-sprout.com
URL:http://www.everlasting-sprout.com/index.htm





Brand name:
GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS
Designer:
CABARET AKI/JACKAL KUZU

A guitarist and a vocalist in the same band started this brand to make their desired outfits. This brand name "GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS" is combination of three words which represent vigor, punch, vividness and positive.
CABARET AKI used to be called "bounty hunter" because he swept every kinds of competition when he was in school. Meanwhile, JACKAL KUZU worked for Kousuke Tsumura after graduating from school. They both have 10 years of experiences in practical business of apparel industry.
"GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS" was established in 2007 as an underwear brand, and engages even from development of materials. From 07-08A/W Tokyo Collection, it started releasing clothes too. Their Rock and Sexy designs are popular especially among musicians. Kinds of items are growing wide lately from men's wear, women's underwear, outer wear to sundry goods. The ratio of outer wear and others is fifty-fifty. Planning and design are all original, and production is done in Japan, Korea and China.
The thing what GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS wants to tell is "Fashion is fun and simple". Some people wear pink when they want to be happy, for example. The color "pink" is sometimes more important than small details. It's not that they ignore the shape, but they put their first priority on the feelings of people who wear their clothes, such as happy feeling that make you dance.... They are aiming to create such feeling through their fashion.
This brand already made contracts with 15 wholesalers. The products are sold at a trendsetting shop "Kaiju Blue" on 1st floor in Marui Shinjuku. It has been growing constantly in these two years. They appreciate their supportive customers and former teachers and friends.
Their gimmicks got more attentions in the past collections, but once you take a close look at their products you will see the depth of their commitment. GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS's hope is to call for love and peace through fashion. "We believe that only warmth of person can change this gloomy world." They have a big dream. It must be fun to follow their careers.

JFW: March 27 (FRI) 12:00pm at Harajuku Quest hall
Exhibition: April 1st to 3rd
Contact to:info@g-d-cabarets.jp
URL:http://www.g-d-cabarets.jp/





Brand name:
Hidenobu Yasui
Designer:
Hidenobu Yasui

Hidenobu Yasui graduated from Osaka Mode Gakuen. Following his winning a prize at the 20th Onward's new fashion designer awards, he entered in MA Fashion Womenswear Course at Central Saint Martins College of Art & design. He finished that course in March 2006, and came back to Japan in June 2007 to search for advanced sewing techniques and high quality fabrics in Japan.
In October 2007, he started his brand of ladies' wear which sticks to Japanese materials and Japanese sewing. The target market of the brand is "mature woman", and it provides high-quality fashion underpinned by delicate craftsmanship.
Mr. Yasui says that he prefers to be involved in dress making as a craftsman than as a fashion designer. Sewing companies in Japan were sifted in these years and many of those closed as a result. However, surviving companies keep having high reliability. Some of them even give him proposals as a production sector. Based on these things, he consigns the production to the factories in Tokyo and Fukushima.
At the time when he had just started his own brand, he tended to concentrate to present his own designs and ideas. Now, he takes customers feedbacks more than before to put more focus on the product development of customer-oriented.
"Hidenobu Yasui" products are sold at three shops in Tokyo, one of them is "NorieM desigers" on Aoyama Kottou-Dori, and the specialized shops in Osaka and other prefectures. An order of custom-made is accepted from one item.

JFW collection: March 27, 5pm at Harajuku Quest hall
Exhibition: April 7 to April 10 at Omote-sando Rin
Contact to: Hidenobu Yasui co., ltd. 6-19-2-402 Kokuryo-cho, Chofu, Tokyo 182-0022
Tel/Fax: 042-485-0155
URL:http://www.hidenobuyasui.com/





Brand name:
suzuki takayuki
Designer:
Suzuki Takayuki

The brand "suzuki takayuki" was established in 2002. It was begun with having an art exhibition of clothing, but the designer, Mr. Suzuki, had already started his career before that in making costumes for artists such as musicians and contemporary dancers.
The company name "bandneon" is an instrument for passionate Argentine tango. Mr. Suzuki actually plays accordion and his company was named after his favorite instrument.
In 2008, he also started "ikkuna/suzuki takayuki", which uses organic cottons, and "toha" in which he conducts an experimental collaboration between textile and other genres like furniture and accessories.
Items at present are ladies' dress, blouses etc. All these have a floaty taste and can be worn as the middle of formal wear and casual wear. Each item is elaborated from the materials by communication with technical experts in Hamamatsu, Nishiwaki, Yamagata, the textile production areas. Since the quality of apparel is largely involving senses and feelings and it is hard to describe, having direct contact with the technical staffs is very important to create what he wants.
The concept of "suzuku takayuki" is "harmony with time". It is not that clothes makes beauty, but clothes draws out the beauty women already have. By adopting natural materials, products express organic feeling but not the hardness of industrial products.
Things change by time, but to Mr. Suzuki, it is a change of its beauty. In order for people to use clothes for a long time, he doesn't do a big style change in each season. Instead, he creates designs which can be coordinated with last year's item. He would like people to recognize the quality of well-used; the quality that the thing can gain from aging.
This brand is popular among the late 20's to early 30's for now. Mr. Suzuki himself, however, doesn't mind the target age. He is more conscious of the people who can see the "thought" of his brand. His idea of target is not age but more like a section, such as a group of people who can share the idea of lifestyle or "thought".
"suzuki takayuki" products are sold at more than 40 shops across the country and 3 companies in abroad. He is also planning to expand the brand to overseas in future, especially to Asian countries.

2009-10 autumn-winter Collection
Installation: 2009 March 24 to 26, 11am - 7pm (The press only on Mar 24, 11am)
Exhibition: 2009 March 28 to April 3, 11am - 7pm
Contact to: Bandneon co., ltd. 2nd floor Takazawa bldg. 5-11-17 Ebara, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-0063
TEL: 03-3783-5813 / FAX: 03-3783-5804
E-Mail:info@suzukitakayuki.com
URL:http://suzukitakayuki.com/
Press contact person: Hiroko Ookawa
TEL 03-5428-6484 / FAX 03-5428-6197　E-Mail hiroko@predpr.com

Column : The season of cherry-blossom

It is now the cherry blossom season in Japan. The whole country is covered with cherry blossoms.

Do you know why Japanese people love cherry blossoms so much?

・Cherry blossoms amazingly paint the towns and mountains with evocative color pink in the moment of changing from winter to spring although cherry trees are out of limelight in other seasons.
・Cherry blossoms give a feeling of "hope" to Japanese people because the blooming season is spring which is "entrance ceremony" season in Japan.
・Because of its short life span between blooming and falling, a cherry blossom reminds people of reincarnation.
・Since olden days, cherry trees have been planted close to the living place so that people can know the rice-planting season.

Only in Nara-period, noblemen admired plum blossoms, but before that and after that, cherry blossoms have been the most popular among ordinary people.
The reason cherry blossoms have been keeping firm popularity is because its feature, which blooms gorgeously after enduring a long cold winter and falls gracefully without hesitation, match to Japanese mentality.
"Cherry blossoms express the best beauty when their petals' falling." Japanese love such a feeling and expression.
Cherry blossom viewing is based on these Japanese history and sensibility; to see pretty flowers from up close, to admire their short lives, and to regret their end.

Japanese make a change of the seasons important.

Japanese were agricultural people, and still keep the customs based on that. To Japanese farmers, the cherry blossom is a signal that tells the timing of rice-planting. It's not necessary to watch the weather report on TV, the cherry tree standing next to the rice field teaches an each timing of rice-cultivation. When the beautiful petals of cherry blossoms are dancing in the wind, rice-planting - starter of a year - begins with hope of growth in summer and good harvest in fall.

Why do cemeteries and schools have many cherry trees?

Cherry blossoms not die but fall… this seems to reflect Japanese view of life and death the best.
According to the explanation of Kunio Yanagida, a Professor of Japanese: since ancient times, the places named after "Cherry" were the places where dead body is abandoned. The cherry tree blooms the souls of those dead people in spring every year. Its graceful ending also must have been admired as an ethereal beauty.

At any rate, Japanese people love to drink under the cherry blossom.

Even if we live in a big city, we still keep a spirit of enjoying nature. Can I call it Japanese DNA?


[Cherry blossom viewing spot in Tokyo] http://www.ozmall.co.jp/sakura/index.asp
Chidori ga fuchi - http://www.date-navi.com/hanami05_tidorigafuti.html
Aoyama bochi - http://www.ozmall.co.jp/sakura/25.asp
ARK Hills - http://www.walkerplus.com/hanami/kanto/tokyo/w4421.html
Harima zaka - http://www.ozmall.co.jp/sakura/index.asp