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Recently JAPAN-FPO was approved as an incorporated association
one year after its launch.
JAPANESE FIREWORKS IS "HANABI"
 It is just "the rainy season" what we call "TSUYU" in Japan. The rain of "the rainy season" supports an autumn crop.
When "the rainy season" is over, we have full-scale "summer". Summer in Japan it is high temperature and humid very much.
Then, we can see the scenery that gives us "cool air" or "make us feel cool" every where in Japan such as "Hanabi (fireworks)," "Yukata", "UCHIMIZU (sprinkling water) etc, etc.
The fireworks were performed as an event of "the river festival" in old days, so I think they did it much earlier than now.
It is August when we can see many fireworks.
"Fireworks" are the things which came to Japan from the Europe in old days.
The old Japanese changed to unique fireworks in Japan as what we call "HANABI".
They try to make Big Flower in the sky I think this idea was so special that was in the sole of Japanese.
The Japanese fireworks are different from the overseas cylindrical fireworks with round fireworks.
This difference makes a large flower bloom into the sky.
The Japanese increases unique originality for the thing which came from the foreign countries in this way and brings about a different thing. The fashion is not an exception, too.
I want The Japanese fashion will bloom big flower in the street not only nights but also day times as that has the courteousness of the thing structure and original idea which matches with high quality Japanese material.
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JAPAN FPO SEMINAR
Fashion beyond Apparel
 A JAPAN-FPO seminar was held at Designer's Village on May 22, 2009. The lecturer was Yamagata Yoshikazu, and the theme was "What is Fashion beyond Apparel". Mr. Yamagata is the owner of the brand "writtenafterwards", and his show at Tokyo Collection Week at JFW 2009 09-10AW with the theme "graduate fashion show: 0 point" got the attention from the audience. In the seminar, he passionately talked about his hometown, experiences in Paris and London, and his attitude towards fashion.
Mr. Yamagata was born in Tottori which is the smallest population prefecture in Japan. He had been yearning for the big city in his childhood. As he noticed he could overcome a sense of inferiority by wearing stylish clothes, he decided to go into fashion business. He first entered Fashion College in Japan but was not satisfied there, then he moved to Saint Martins College of Art & design in London. As he enjoyed the school's free environment in London, Mr. Yamagata was found by the director of John Galiano and was assigned to be an assistant designer at atelier in Paris. By seeing John Galiano's attitude towards pursuing an ultimate beauty of woman only for "30-seconds" on the runway, he realized that "Fashion is more than just the clothes people wear everyday" and "the clothes of a Fashion show can move people".
After he won three awards at amateur designer's contest in Trieste, Italy, and worked on the "Flowing Christmas tree" project of Kenzo Takada, he came back to Saint Martin College. His graduation year of 2005 was also the year marked the 200th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. His show using "Naked King" as a motif was the finale event of the college's graduation fashion show.
Mr. Yamagata launched "writtenafterwards" with Kentaro Tamai after coming back to Tokyo. He worked on an exhibition at "Rooms", a fashion show of "Wearable House" at a nursery school in Hinohara which is the only village in Tokyo, and releasing a lacy globe and so on. People sometimes ask him "what is your regular vocation?", but he says he is working with the belief that "Fashion is philosophy". This is the words of Kiyokazu Washida, a professor of graduate school at the Osaka University.
Actually it is true that fashion means not only clothes. Fashion is created from empathy with others but people want to be different each other at the same time. For instance, a famous CHANEL's advertising photography in which a woman wearing a big jewelry necklace is smoking exhibited a new life style of woman as well as the clothes.
The theme of his show at Tokyo Collection was "Graduation fashion show: 0 point". It included the meaning of returning to the zero point as the conversion of value. "Zero" represented starting point of the clothes-making.
This was a controversial show, still it is invited to Holland as the opening event of "Arnhem. Mode. Biennale".
Actual manufacturing - learning from Italian SU MISURA
 A seminar by Mr. Norimitsu Shibayama was held at Designer's Village on May 29, 2009. The theme was "Actual manufacturing - learning from Italian SU MISURA".
The lecturer, Mr. Shibayama, made some proposals on "made-in-Japan" products while showing us Zegna's actual production of a custom-made men's wear, which does not require basting.
Mr. Norimitsu Shibayama is a representative of Sun-Mode Studio. He works as a technical instructor for the apparel production as well as a contract modelist who conducts from pattern making to quality control. He also serves as a vice-president of Japan Modelist Associate, a head director of Japan branch of IACDE (International Associations of Clothing Designers & Executive Association), a chief of the lecturers at Secoli Japan School, a head officer of Men's Monozukuri-Juku, and a proficiency measurement committeeman etc. Especially at IACDE, he is a two-time winner of the highest award, Michelangelo Award; for ladies' wear category in 1996 at Milano, and for men's suit category in 2005 at New York.
Zegna is a company selling 3.5 million suits a year in the world. SU MISURA was started in 1977. By the way, a custom-made system had already been started in Japan 56 years ago by Yamagata-ya. Mr. Shibayama talked about Zegna's production and their efforts on the technical aspects, and also about the differences from Japanese production.
For example, in Zegna, they use measurement values of a bust including arms. This makes it easier to modify the suits for a plump person. A cutting process is done in Switzerland, with 24 hours a day operation. Switzerland is a strike-free country and surrounded by four countries, which is geographically-advantaged. So, it is the best place for delivering in two weeks. Master patterns are made by hands, and hair canvas interfacings are made for each size. These things reflect their professionalism. Many efforts can be seen in each process, such as using baskets in the sewing production lines. The production line goes comparatively fast from cutting till interfacing attachment. A temperature and humidity control is not so severe.
The rainfall levels on June and July in Rome are 38mm and 6mm. On the other hand, these in Tokyo are 165mm and 162mm. The precipitation rate in Milano is stable throughout a year. These will explain the reason a temperature and humidity control is not so important. In contrast, Japanese factories have an advanced technique for sewing wool materials under the high-humidity condition because of its climate.
The suit Mr. Shibayama ordered to Zegna needed a few corrections, but he eventually adjusted it by himself by means of decomposing after coming back to Japan. He said the process of decomposing and rebuilding is very informative. Zegna prepares "Asian specification" which is applied to the orders from Asian areas in response to the customer complaints from monsoon regions. Mr. Shibayama's suit was made under this specification.
In Italy, a Modellista converts a designer's idea and target quality into a tangible form. Modellista also keep the balance between cost and price. In Japan, such works are usually factory's job.
IACDE will mark the 100th anniversary next year. Mr. Shibayama explained the transition of fashion trend in every 10 years. According to him, we are now in the decade of "Comfortable & Ecology".
When I thought about clothes making in Japan after seeing Zegna's, some directions came to my mind. Clothes making in Japan has cultural and historical backgrounds. Those backgrounds might be an obstacle in some sense, but Japanese sewing technique is high. I hope Japanese makers will also create clothes that you can decompose and learn. Designers should learn the roots of clothes and make collaboration works with factories. Qualities and standards must be thought in the customer's position. Italian customers care about wear-comfort, but they do not mind about loose buttons so much because Italians often do easy sewing and ironing at home. Japanese makers should strengthen a merchandising ability, and power of transmitting to the world what we are making.
 At the last, Mr. Shibayama introduced to us his new book "Complete clothes making". This is his fourth book, and it is full of clothes-making know-how. B5 size, 256 pages.
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Exhibition : CANDY
Small fashion exhibitions are always held somewhere in Tokyo. CANDY (Designer: Hiro) is one of those. Their exhibition was held on May to June 2009.
The organizer, Hiro, studied clothes making by himself in London for 4 years since 2002. During staying in London, he did many works such as a window display design for "KOKONTOZAI", an exhibition at THE PINEAL EYE, an artwork presentation at Onitsuka Tiger UK, and so on.
This exhibition was a joint exhibition with other 20 creators. The venue was at the basement in SY Building near Shinjuku-Gyoen. Patric Stephan, a member of JAPAN-FPO, also joined this exhibition.
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Up-and-coming designers
Brand name:
sachio kawasaki
Designer:
Sachio Kawasaki
The designer, Sachio Kawasaki learned basic knowledge of textile at Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. After finishing Chelsea College, he entered MA course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design to study fashion, specifically knitwear.
At Central Saint Martins, students can exhibit their thesis works at London Fashion Week together with other professional designers'. Kawasaki was chosen as one of twenty students who could have an exhibition, and his work appeared on the fashion magazine, Vogue. After he launched his own brand "SACHIO KAWASAKI", he participated in SHINMAI Creator's Project at JFW in 2009. His design of "combination of flat pattern and 3-D body" got the attention of the audience. High-quality silk cashmeres are mainly used and sewing is done in the factories of Japan-FPO members. Diane Pernet, a journalist who was invited by JETRO, mentioned Kawasaki as one of the most interesting designers.
"SACHIO KAWASAKI" held an exhibition in April at "Rin", and this exhibition was aired on May 15 and 31 by Nihon TV G+ and NHK.
"I think JFW targets younger people compared with European collections. That may be the reason the foreign media pay less attention to JFW because their main target is adult. For the same reason, I worry that rich Japanese will also go for Western brands", says Kawasaki. He hopes that JFW gets more attention of the world, and for that, he is interested to send elegant designs for adult to the world from Tokyo.
He made new contracts with several shops after JFW. He moved to new atelier in May, and established business by setting up a company, BULBOUS Co. ltd.
About the design for the next spring, he says, "The next will be more casual, unlike this season which was completed perfect fashion. I want to pursue something that "changes better" without using the best materials". He is going to hold an exhibition in the next JFW.
"It has not been a long time since my brand started. And I am still in the severe state. Now is the best time to think and try what I can really do", he said with ambition. Sachio Kawasaki is a noteworthy creator.
Contact to : 2-4-17-308 Honan, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-0062, Japan
TEL/FAX：+81-3-3318-7488
e-mail：info@sachiokawasaki.com
URL：http://www.sachiokawasaki.com
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After a long time since it had vanished, Ninja house has come back in the modern world in Nagata-cho where many Samurai residences existed in Edo period.