From green fashions by a designer who clothed Lady Gaga to a futuristic take on the
traditional kimono and a streetwear show that drew more than 10,000
people, Japan's Fashion Week has highlighted the edginess and variety
for which Tokyo has long been known.
The spring event was cancelled
last year in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, which
set off a nuclear crisis that led to power cuts, but the October event
was held as scheduled, clearing the way for the current autumn/winter
extravaganza.
The Tokyo Runway Show
highlighted street styles, an effort to shine a spotlight on Japan's
ready-to-wear brands as they also hope to cross into the international
scene, in a five-hour production aimed at the country's trend-setting
youth.
"I believe that with this show,
Japan,
as a fashion leader, has the potential to crossover internationally,"
said Natsuki Kato, a model and actress who strode the catwalk for the
event.
Some 15,000 fans came out
for the Tokyo Runway, which fell on a national holiday right in the
middle of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week that runs until March 24 and
featured designs for "real clothes consumers" rather than avant-garde
garb.
Among the highlights was an
appearance by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who represented so-called "Harajuku"
subculture street fashion, ranging from gothic to outfits that look as
if they came straight out of an anime cartoon and is named after the
popular Tokyo area popular with youth.
"What
makes Harajuku fashion unique is how the girls choose to represent
themselves with confidence in a way that's enjoyable -- not just in a
'cute' way, but with some edginess as well." Kyary Pamyu Pamyu told
Reuters.
"For example, I have eyeballs and bones on my outfit. It's not just cute but a bit dark too."
KIMONOS, GREEN AND GAGA
In
a nod to tradition, third generation kimono designer Jotaro Saito
unveiled "Futurism," a collection he hopes will give Japan's traditional
dress a modern twist.
Models
shuffled along the runway in traditional sandals, and were trussed up in
"obi" sashes, but fabrics featured horizontal lines, checks - even the
occasional polka-dot.
"Japan has
very traditional things, but the world also looks to us for subculture,
like anime or computer games. A culture where the new and the classical
coexist -- well, I think that's fascinating," Saito said.
Despite the emphasis on fashion, Japan's new reality of post-disaster concerns intruded.
Masanori
Morikawa, who created the costume worn by
Lady Gaga at the MTV Aid
Japan Award 2011, introduced a "green" theme inspired by environmental
concerns and the ongoing nuclear crisis at Fukushima, north of Tokyo.
Morikawa, the designer behind the self-directed label "Christian Dada," showed an autumn/winter collection entitled "Lost."
"I
was moved by news such as Chernobyl and similar events, and I wanted to
express through this collection the question of whether or not we have a
place to return to," he said.
Models
clad mainly in black walked under green lighting as if under a forest
canopy. Along the runway were his trademark punk-inspired leather studs
that adorned entire vests, with the new additions of body-hugging green
mini dresses.
The show included a
visual installation at the end featuring a bird cage that transforms
into a disappearing angel -- a scene that hints at rebirth, according to
Morikawa.
"I didn't want the angel
wings to be in a specific direction but to show that there is a
possibility to go in any direction," Morikawa said
