APRIL 13, 2009 - Volume 6

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS

 JAPAN-FPO
 

JAPAN FASHION PRODUCT NEWS
Volume 6 - Index

TOKYO COLLECTION WEEK News Flash 3

Evolving young designers

I am writing this report from the point of view of the production side that made samples for the collections.

On this season's Tokyo Collection Week, my company created samples for five brands of the young designers. This is our forth time collaborating with them. Their fresh creativity always surprises us and inspires us to try our best to meet their request. Nevertheless, they often experience that their efforts do not always lead to actual sale even though those qualities received wide recognition in Japan and overseas. Still, even under such condition, they keep sticking to their beliefs and progressing without losing high motivation to creativity.

Japan is one of the greatest fabric-making countries in the world. In this rich environment, the young designers found the latest developed fabrics and cut them with a well-polished technology. These procedures brought this season's collections to the higher stage of the world fashion where even "wear comfort" is pursued.

Why did these young designers who studied in Europe and are described as "From Tokyo / New mode & New Elegance" choose Japan as their bases?
I guess that is because Japan has the above-mentioned high-grade textile production and reliable sewing techniques. "Carefulness" and "Ingenuity" installed in the Japanese DNA are used in not only an industrial production but a garment production. This precise sewing skill from a one stitch to the back side of the clothes is derived from the Japanese tradition which respects beauty of form.

When "Creativity", "Textile" and "Sewing skill" build a trinity relationship, "Creation" turns 3-dimensional from flatness. Team-Japan won the world's best in baseball. I believe our Team-Japan with young designers also will be the best in the world.

COLLECTION SCHEDULE

»COLLECTION SCHEDULE 2009 A/W

JFW2009/03/27-28 JAPAN-FPO News Flash

March 27, 2009

Brand name:Hidenobu Yasui
Designer:Hidenobu Yasui
Venue: Harajuku Quest Hall
Time: 5 pm
The runway is covered with cardboard papers, and the background music is a gentle piano. Hidenobu Yasui delivers this time monotone pantsuits, coats and knit wear. All are made with high quality fabrics. In these all simple and calm designs, he adds playful accents which make them look unique; such as the double collar of peak and tailored, and the many tabs on the belt and the sleeves.

Hidenobu Yasui

Designers who studied London and Antwerp

On the last day of the JFW(JAPAN FASHION Week), 3 Shows will be held at "CLASKA". where used to be an old hotel in Tokyo and renovered to a new popular culture spot for the youths.This place is the exhibiton space for "folkcraft","fashion", "design","interior" and for various creators.
Three designers started their carrier from their fashion schools in London and Antwerp.
It is constractive that most of Japnese designers start their activities in Tokyo and demand a place of the exhibition at Paris collection.
They, who educated outside of Japan and acquired Creation are a new generation for the fashion scene.

March 28, 2009

Brand name:MIKIO SAKABE
Designer:Mikio Sakabe / Shueh Jen-Fang
Venue: CLASKA
Time: 6 pm
About 50 candles are placed in the middle of the dark runway. This stage was built in the image of the stars and the idols in the 80's. "Yearning" is the theme of this season. The collections of two designers, Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen-Fang, include quilted balloon-sleeves, collars with the mitering corners, pleated skirts made of the thin materials like organdie, and hoods made of soft fabrics. All items have qualities of grace and nostalgia, which remind of Japan in the 1980's when people were still energetic having dreams and yearnings.

MIKIO SAKABE

Brand name:AKIRA NAKA
Designer:AKIRA NAKA
Venue: CLASKA
Time: 7 pm
The dimly lighted space with two chandeliers placed at the end of the long runway. This stage was created in the image of Russian old hotels. The show goes on along with the slow piano song without words. A rectilinear-cut pantsuit with the accent of the golden fastener, a shawl collar high quality jacket, and knit wear, tights and so on are in the collection. For the jackets and the skirt, a combined material of knit fabric and woven material, which are joined by gradation, is used.

AKIRA NAKA

Brand name:writtenafterwards
Designer:Yoshikazu Yamagata / Kentaro Tamai
Venue: CLASKA
Time: 8:30 pm
The theme is "graduate fashion show: 0 point". They utilized the wasted fabric coming out of the creation of the graduation thesis work. In the lively music which reminds of African drums or Caribbean steel bands sounding in the background, wearing the symbol of graduation, a square cap, the models in surprising costumes appear from the darkness one after another. It is almost like a midnight carnival. The things the models are wearing are a clothing with stripes made by black and white packing tapes, and the garbage-like clothes which formed by papers and vinyl and aluminum foils. Also, some of them have a huge bouquet of black roses or an aluminum bag, or even wear a basket or signboards over the clothes. According to these two designers, a fashion is created from the emotion which is generated by the sympathy with people.

writtenafterwards

JFW Editor's note

JFW2009, Tokyo Collection Week '09-'10 Autumn / Winter was ended on March 28. I am sure the year of 2009 will be the historical year as the beginning of a global recession caused by the collapse of the financial bubble. And, it is obvious that the collections presented in JFW got influenced by this social climate.

"Failure of greedy capitalism" is the words that people often use for describing this situation. Economists and politicians will formulate a new economic policy based on the past data. GM, the former world's biggest corporation, is now surviving with public fund.　The dream of Dubai - building a huge resort area for the rich - also aborted. Alan Greenspan called it "once in a century credit tsunami", but, to me, this seems like a result of an enormously grown mass-production / mass consumption lifestyle after the Industrial Revolution. The individualistic creators presented through their designs the feelings they sensed by the sharp sensitivity from today's society.

LEP LUSS's "Nothing is added" and Hidenobu Yasui's "Simplicity" represented the attempt of trying to bring out the essential quality of clothing by taking out adornments.

Strength must be needed in this global competition. SOMARTA's theme was "ADAMATINE" and used the motif of wartime, yet it keeps glitter of diamonds and softness of knit fabric. Suzuki takayuki's installation showed the image of rebirth and tie by using natural fibers.

The problem we face now is not just economic stagnation, but global warming and food crisis also are casting a shadow on our future. Still, GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS gave us energy, and writtenafterwards' collection was an eye-opener.

There were more dark staging than ever before this time. These dark stages with the warm candle lights or having the atmosphere of a cozy old hotel room, however, provided a peaceful and healing space which everyone looks for. THEATRE PRODUCTS successfully created a happy homey mood of the good old America in the 70's.

Japanese textile industry had been developing each field separately in the past. This time, however, I was glad to find collaboration works of different fields such as textile and dyeing in the collection. Skilled workers from the traditional fiber makers and sewing factories are supporting the sensitive ideas of up-and-coming new designers and collaborating with each other to make new products together.

In Japan, there are few apparel markets which take the form of spread from the rich to general public. Instead, people in the 20's to 30's spend comparatively more money on their fashion. Through an economic bubble burst in 15 years ago and another new recession, even the rich now starts holding off buying expensive brand-name goods in this country.

Matohu revived the fashion of Keichou period which came after the age of civil war period. Like this, I hope that young creators keep bringing new products with new value and build up a new apparel business for future.(JFPO－News editor Mikio Chiku）