Japan Fashion Week
Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo is the first public-private joint fashion initiative. A total of 52 brands are participating in the collections held at two tents set up especially for the event in the outer gardens of Meiji Jingu shrine.
Source: Japan Today.
I am completely unexcited by this. I don’t know why, but I expected the Japanese Fashion Week to be jaw-droppingly….japanese. But instead it looks like any other fashion week around the world. Everything from the models to the clothes themselves. It seems like the Japan wants to amalgamate with the West, rather than showcase their insane, decorative, beautiful fashions that the country has been famous for, for centuries.
What a shame.
A side fact: the Fashion Week will be held biannually from now on, every Autumn and Spring.
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November 9th, 2005 at 6:21 am
I have only been to Japan once. I lived with a host family for 2 months. While I was there I got the impression the Japanese want to look like the Western people (the Americans) alot. They show all those fancy pictures on sites like http://www.style-arena.jp, but where I was, Takatsuki-shi (near Osaka), it was only a minority which was stylish like that. The majority looked pretty plain and casual. Usually some loose fitting jeans with 2 layered shirts on it, or a baggy t-shirt.
I think it’s a shame they want to look so Western, because the Japanese are much more stylish. (Off course European fashion looks good too :P)
November 9th, 2005 at 1:34 pm
I think you’re right – Japanese people do want to look western. Which is disappointing. But it’s also why the FRUiTS phenomenon popped up. Those teens were sick of having the fashion rules dictated to them from the West, so they started making their own fashion, incorporating things like kimonos and geta sandals and samurai pants (I don’t know what they’re actually called >.<)
November 11th, 2005 at 12:51 pm
Hakama
(http://fashion.3yen.com/2004-12-18/mens-hakama/)
;)
November 15th, 2005 at 12:14 am
hey..where do i go for the fashion shows/buy tickets in tokyo? is tomorrow the last day?
November 15th, 2005 at 10:44 am
I’m sorry, but I have no idea. My best guess would be to try the usual ticket outlets – maybe one of them does tickets for the fashion shows. Then again, it may be a press and industry-only event.
November 17th, 2005 at 12:07 am
i see i see..it’s cool..thanks anyway!
November 17th, 2005 at 8:07 am
The yukata was really trendy last summer. It looked so cute. :)
I’m going back in 2 years to visit my friends there, might be there for a while. I wonder how Japanese (street) fashion will have evolved by then.
I’m aiming to become an English teacher in Japan in the future. Chances are pretty high I’ll succeed in those plans, I’ve got indirect support from the Japanese Embassy in my country (just to point out it’s not a pointless goal/dream).
Is there a forum? Oh and how’s Yokohama? :)
December 15th, 2005 at 12:03 am
Sorry, Wessel, for some reason I missed reading your comment til today. Being an English teacher in Japan shouldn’t be too difficult, even in an actual high school. There are job openings everywhere. Just make sure you have a degree so you can get the visa. Having support from the Embassy can’t hurt either ;) Oh and Yokohama is awesome, thanks :)
March 8th, 2006 at 11:28 am
i think japanese fashion is a little down falling too because it should be more japanese and a little more tradtional. I guess japan is really turning into a small U.S.
October 8th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Hi^^ first time commenter, I love your blog!
Anyway on this particular post I felt like I needed to add something as I both love Japan and fashion.
When you say look more Japanese do you mean to say the Harajuku/Shibuya street style?
Fashion weeks (around the world) mostly display collections by designers of high fashion. Unfortunately the typical Japanese street style does not always come into the high fashion category. This is simply because high fashion is usually unattainable by normal people and sometimes impractical. Madrid fashion week doesn’t always look Spanish, Australian Mecedes fashion week doesn’t look Australian and Paris fashion week isn’t always Parisan. This is because fashion designers get their inspiration from a variety of different things from Marie Antoinette to the post romantic era in history. The designers in Japan don’t necessarily have to base their designs on Japan itself.
I personally loved Japan Fashion week, and actually thought it had a distinct Japanese flair about it. Designers such as Utsugi Eri of mercibeaucoup brings her own touch of the Fruits look while Shirahama Ritsuko interprets the high tea Harajuku style.
If you look at the New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks that has been going on for the past month you will notice that many collections in Japan fashion week have been inspired from Japanese street fashion itself.
I’m in no way trying to attack your post^^ I just thought this might clear up a few things.
Keep up the good work.