Fashion In Japan

Foreign Fashions: India & Japan's Fashion Weeks Hit Global Spotlight

It’s not just New York, Paris and Milan having all the fashion week fun…Believe it or not, fashion weeks happen in various cities globally year round and two new destinations are quickly catching the eyes of major editors and buyers–Japan and India.

First up is India, whose Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai “saw about 40 percent more buyers than the last season” according to WWD . The country also has another fashion week, Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week in the city of New Delhi. Sujal Shah, head of fashion for IMG India said of the major increase, “International buyers are definitely making a move to come to India, he added, with a bulk of buyers from the Middle East and Europe but a growing interest from the US.”

These fresh looks from designer Babita Malkani above demonstrate why the country is receiving so much attention- bright colors and electric fabrics make for interesting and attention-getting garments.

Now let’s move onto Japan, whose fashion week future was sadly up in the air after the country’s devastating earthquake shook the country. However, the destruction did manage do to one good thing: bring the media spotlight to the nation’s designers. Brands such as G.V.G.V. and Christian Dada are receiving rave reviews for their new collections.

As you can see Christian Dada’s garments are hard to miss with their exaggerated shapes and bold headwear. With an array of textured fabrics and prints the brand presented an eye-shot collection for fall 2011.

For designer Mug (a previous Uniqlo collaborator) and her G.V.G.V. line the theme for fall was “Wanderlust” with the idea of a girl going back to school in Britain. Lots of plaid and leather skirts make her school yard rounds for the upcoming season.

Japan Fashion Week Wraps Up :: Weekender

The ninth Japan Fashion Week, showcasing the spring/summer 2010 collections from 51 different brands, wrapped up on Saturday, October 24. The collections ranged from the conservative to the avant-garde, and included just about everything in between. The week also included several other special events to keep guests busy, including a model search contest, exhibitions, workshops and parties. Read on for summaries of some of the week’s standouts…

Motonari Ono , always popular with fans, once again went for a sexy, chic look of feminine details paired with menswear-inspired tailoring. Tuxedo jackets and military-inspired coats were softened by lace insets and lapels, and then paired with miniskirts and thigh-high stockings for a seductive look.

Toshikazu Iwaya gained fame when he launched the popular brand Dresscamp, and for Dress33 he showed a colorful collection of men’s and women’s wear that included metallic dresses, giant belt buckles, and sports influences, such as running tights by Asics. Accented by a spattering of gold studs and fabrics with interesting textures, then topped off with funky accessories such as cellophane hair bows and feather earrings, the show was pure entertainment.

Hideaki Sakaguchi showed muted tones of grey, beige, lavender and tan for his spring/summer collection for The Dress & Co . Light, thin fabrics were draped and layered to create voluminous shapes, then matched with more fitted jackets and vests in corduroy, cotton and leather. Printed t-shirts with frayed hems brought all of the lace and ruffles down to earth.

Naomi Yamamoto of Tiny Dinosaur debuted a relaxed yet stylish collection of silk and jersey dresses, chiffon tops and cotton trench coats with Japanese influences. Many of the prints have a kimono look to them, and several pieces crossed in the front and tied like yukatas. But these were mixed with skinny jeans and short shorts to keep the looks modern and wearable.

Designers Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi of Matohu are known for producing beautiful clothes in high-quality fabrics, and they didn’t disappoint this season. Their straight skirts, wrap coats, cropped boleros and relaxed tank tops had an easy, carefree vibe, yet as usual, the fabrics set them apart from the rest. Geometric patterns were intricately woven into cottons, crochet pieces were dip-dyed for a gradated effect, and striped silks were paired with fine, open knits.

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