Japan Fashion Week has just kicked off, amidst interesting circumstances. The industry’s continuing struggles came to a head a fortnight ago when one of J-fashion’s biggest heroes, Yohji Yamamoto, filed for bankruptcy (with company debts exceeding US$64 million). It came as a shock to many, but was only the latest in a series of blows.
Late last year, for example, as Japan’s high end fashion market drastically dwindled, Louis Vuitton announced it had cancelled its plans to open a new (much hyped) 12-story store in Ginza; and just last week Versace declared it would close all its Japanese stores.
Once the home of thousand dollar melons and Hermès accessories for dogs, Japan’s status as having the world’s most avid luxury shoppers – often been cited as the land where a whopping forty per cent of the world’s luxury fashion has been consumed – is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Meanwhile business is up-and-up for cheap franchise clothing stores like Uniqlo and H&M, and the trend towards second hand clothes continues to grow with chains like Rag Tag (recycled designer wear) and Hanjiro (super cheap vintage and used clothes) opening new outlets left, right and centre.
So what does it all mean for Japan’s young fashion designers? Just two days in to fashion week and it’s apparent they remain full of ideas, energy and optimism. Highlihts so far include the toxic waste mutants of Toshikazu Iwaya’s Dress 33 line who were decked out in sickly synthetic colours and textures with Gaultier-esque exuberance…
Lots of custom-embellished Asics bike pants for men from Dress 33.
Also a favourite, mintdesigns presented another breath of minty fresh air at an off-site show, this time in the gorgeous al fresco surrounds of the historic Tokyo National Museum at dusk. The brainchild of Nao Yagi and Hokuto Katsui, mintdesigns seems to embody all the best of Japanese fashion: originality, humour and socks, really really great socks …
Another highlight has been THEATRE PRODUCTS who presented their latest eclectic and eccentric ensembles at Vacant in Harajuku last night. Basing their brand’s philosophy on the pursuit of theatre within daily life, Akira Takeuchi and Tayuka Nakanishi’s original vision and ongoing collaborations across various fields of visual art, design and performance have earned them a devoted following …
Tributes to Bombay Sapphire ran throughout the THEATRE PRODUCTS show, as we sipped on their gin cocktails.
So today’s lesson is that the death of luxury is not the death of fashion. The industry is redefining itself and as the Japanese turn their backs on the frenzied consumption of handbags that require mortgages, it’s exciting to see a new generation of designers for whom the aspiration of luxury is irrelevant.
On a final note, all of this makes an interesting context for the new fashion exhibition Luxury Reconsidered, to be opening shortly at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Examining luxury and fashion in light of our changing times, it will feature around 100 garments from the collection of The Kyoto Costume Institute (as well as a special instillation from Comme des Garçons and SANAA! More on that soon).