february-2010

Japan
has become one of the
world’s fashion meccas
thanks to the worldwide recognition of
giants such as Comme des Garçons, Issey
Miyake and Kenzo.
It was back in 1982 that Japanese
design fi rst made a real impression on the
fashion world, when some 12 designers
showed their collections in Paris at the
prêt-a-porter shows. Their unique aesthetic
combining monochromatic minimalism with
unusual angles had a huge impact on the
contemporary fashion world.
However, ask anyone who has walked
around the trendy Harajuku, Shibuya,
Daikanyama or Naka-Meguro districts on the
weekend where the most impressive place
64 FEBRUARY 2010
Fashionistas looking to nourish all their senses at once
can head to Tokyo’s outrageous biannual fashion show
WORDS MANAMI OKAZAKI
to see fashion is and they’ll tell you it’s on the
streets, not in the high fashion boutiques.
The average Japanese girl is so incredibly
style-conscious that the streets are like a live
catalogue of creative experiments, from the
sophisticated to the eccentric, representing
everything from androgynous skater-style
street labels to the ultra chic and sexy
glamour look.
Given that the biannual Tokyo fashion week
is closed to the public, and usually restricted
to industry buyers and press, it comes as
welcome news that there’s a show that
incorporates the energy and fl amboyance of
Japanese female youth fashion. Best of all,
it’s open to the public. Tokyo Girls Collection,
held on 6 March at Yokohama Arena, is an
event that features 25 of Tokyo’s most popular
youth-orientated fashion labels and is a
carnival-styled extravaganza that pulls in over
23,000 attendees.
The entertainment includes everything from
singers and local celebrities to over 70 of the
most popular models, actresses and idols.
It’s also unusual in that it gives attendees
the chance to buy the outfi ts being paraded
down the catwalk, by labels such as Double
Standard, Alba Rosa and Cecil McBee, by
tapping away into their phones. The clothing
ordered via mobile internet arrives nicely
packaged on doorsteps the next day.
This event features clothing that currently
adorns the racks of numerous malls and
boutiques, in all their pastel-coloured glory,