{"id":61687,"date":"2026-07-21T09:49:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T09:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/61687\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T09:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T09:49:19","slug":"tokyo-fashion-week-why-the-city-deserves-more-clout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/61687\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Fashion Week: Why the City Deserves More Clout"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Fashion Week (officially Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo, after its chief sponsor) coincided with the arrival of spring this season. The sun shone, temperatures nudged up and cherry blossoms obligingly appeared. This was good news for Paris-based brand Koch\u00e9, whose designer Christelle Kocher had taken the risky move of holding her evening show on the open rooftop of Tsutaya, a multistorey music, film and bookshop on a pulsating Shibuya crossing. The sounds from the street below rose up as models strutted along the runway and the crowd included familiar faces, such as supermodel Ai Tominaga, United Arrows & Sons creative director Motofumi \u201cPoggy\u201d Kogi and pink-haired Instagram starlets Ami and Aya. The show contained elements from Koch\u00e9\u2019s recent outing in Paris, with the addition of a new Pikachu-emblazoned collaboration with Nintendo and an ending that featured the classic 1961 song \u201cSukiyaki\u201d. The weather held and it felt like a Tokyo fashion moment.<\/p>\n

More than 50 mostly Japanese brands showed during the week, 14 of which were appearing for the first time. There were satellite events, parties, talks and dozens of runway shows, three of them fresh from Paris Fashion Week. And yet the event seemed to make little impact on the city or the wider fashion world.<\/p>\n

Here is the crux of the Tokyo Fashion Week conundrum: how does arguably the most fashionable city in the world have such a low-profile fashion week? Distance is one factor; timing another. Tokyo\u2019s spring fashion week comes at the end of a long New York-London-Milan-Paris cycle so international buyers and journalists are few and far between. Even Japanese buyers and editors attend sporadically as they juggle runway shows with low-key press-room previews for popular Tokyo labels that don\u2019t show, such as Undercover.<\/p>\n

Matters are not helped by the absence of some of the biggest names in Japanese fashion \u2013 Sacai, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Comme des Gar\u00e7ons among them \u2013 who opt to show in Paris instead. For many Japanese brands, showing in Tokyo is a step on the journey towards \u201cgraduating\u201d to shows in other cities: Tokyo-based label N Hoolywood now shows in New York, while Anrealage and Beautiful People present in Paris. Tokyo\u2019s runways can\u2019t compete for prestige and column inches.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t always this way: the line-up for the first Tokyo collection in 1985 is a roll-call of legendary names, including Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake. But the event fizzled out as the superstars of Japanese fashion migrated elsewhere, mostly to Paris. In 2005 the government took action and \u2013 together with the textile industry \u2013 set up the Japan Fashion Week Organisation to run an official biannual event. Initially the government stumped up cash before Mercedes-Benz sponsored the event for five years; three years ago, Amazon stepped in.<\/p>\n

\"ModelWomenswear label Hyke put on one of the best shows of the week at a waterfront warehouse on Tennozu Isle<\/p>\n

\"ModelHyke<\/p>\n

\"FashionFashion consultant Nick Wooster<\/p>\n

\"ModelWinter wear at Hyke<\/p>\n

\"ModelsKimono brand Jotaro Saito<\/p>\n

\"ModelsFull house at The Reracs<\/p>\n

\"StreetStreet snapping outside the main venue, Hikarie<\/p>\n

\"ModelEMarie<\/p>\n

\"ModelNew label Anei<\/p>\n

\"SeatedAudience at Jotaro Saito<\/p>\n

\"ModelsRehearsal before the Hyke show<\/p>\n

Yutaka Nakamura, senior director of the Japan Fashion Week Organisation, takes some brands\u2019 preference for other fashion weeks in his stride. \u201cWe understand that the decision of where to show a collection first is about business and getting maximum exposure,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat we\u2019re hoping is that we can find the next Sacai here.\u201d He says that what Tokyo Fashion Week lacks in big brands and celebrity appearances, it makes up for in new labels and fresh discoveries. \u201cOur aims are to nurture young design talent, to promote the Japanese textile industry \u2013 which is a huge advantage for domestic designers \u2013 and to collaborate with the music and art worlds to show Tokyo\u2019s unique culture,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to make Tokyo different from other fashion weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly Wetherille, Japan-based correspondent for fashion-trade publication WWD, says that the event would be helped by a more rigorous selection process and a broader Asian focus. \u201cThe likes of Sacai, Yohji Yamamoto and Undercover are not going to come back to Tokyo,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel like there\u2019s no way that Tokyo can position itself as an alternative to Paris. The only way Tokyo can make a niche for itself is if it is known as the place where the young, edgy, upcoming Asian brands come to show. You might not get the department stores as much but you would get cool boutiques and select shop buyers coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wetherille believes that making Tokyo a pan-Asian event would attract an international audience. \u201cAt this point in the year, buyers and press have already spent a month out of their offices,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019ve spent their budget, they\u2019ve done the whole circuit and they don\u2019t have money or time to go to different Asia fashion weeks.\u201d Buyers, she says, might be more tempted to come to Asia if they knew they were going to see the region\u2019s strongest labels in one hit.<\/p>\n

There is also an argument that Japan\u2019s wearable understated labels don\u2019t suit the flashy runway format. Tokyo brand Auralee, which has won a loyal following for its restrained designs since its launch in 2015, recently won the Fashion Prize of Tokyo. Its reward? A show at Paris Fashion Week. \u201cI felt very nervous about winning the award,\u201d says Auralee designer Ryota Iwai, fresh from his first presentation in Paris. \u201cAuralee is not really a brand that lends itself to a runway show but the award showed me that it was OK for all the different kinds of brands to coexist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hirofumi Kurino, one of the most influential \u2013 and elegant \u2013 figures in Japanese fashion and a member of the Japan Fashion Week committee, argues that Tokyo can set itself apart from other cities by playing to its strengths. \u201cEach Fashion Week has its own role,\u201d he says. \u201cTokyo is not about mega brands. The key words are creativity and quality. It would be difficult for brands like Auralee, that have quality at the front and centre, to make an impression in Paris or Milan \u2013 but Tokyo offers a great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kurino says that Japan has another asset that other fashion centres lack. \u201cPeople talk about creativity in Paris but \u2018Made in France\u2019 hardly exists these days. Japan has the advantage of being a country that still manufactures things. Its capability to produce and its commitment to quality are both hugely positive factors.\u201d The success of designers such as Masayuki Ino, whose brand Doublet became the first non-European label to win the \u20ac300,000 LVMH prize when it bagged the award last year, shows that there is an appetite for what Japan has to offer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame that the event doesn\u2019t get more international coverage as there are some terrific shows and great brands to be seen. Womenswear label Hyke showed one wearable look after another, combining elegance and practicality. Naomi Kurahashi\u2019s label The Reracs put out a strong line-up of skilfully constructed winter staples in quality fabrics that needed little embellishment. Yu Haneishi \u2013 formerly of Visvim \u2013 showed the urban appeal of technical fabrics with his new label Anei. And off the runway, international visitors couldn\u2019t get enough of the impeccable styling on Tokyo\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n

Kurino sees that there is work to be done for Tokyo to reach a bigger audience and urges ambitious young designers to learn English so that they can succeed overseas. \u201cIf you live in Japan, you\u2019re like a frog in the well knowing nothing of the great ocean. We\u2019re so blessed with everything and people don\u2019t feel the pressure to speak English; they really should.\u201d He believes that Japan\u2019s capital should have a fashion week to match its reputation for style. \u201cIt has to become a destination,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not yet. We have to work hard to visualise the creativity and quality that only exist in Tokyo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brands you might have missed:
Cinoh: Tokyo label offering wearability and playfulness.
Noma TD: Easy outdoor wear in soft quilt, fleece and flannel.
Postelegant: Overcoats and trouser suits in beautiful fabrics.
Mistergentleman: Ideas galore at this well-styled streetwear label.
Rainmaker: Kyoto brand with tactile fabrics and assured tailoring.<\/p>\n

Ask the buyers
What to see
Best in show at Tokyo Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

Rie Tamaki
General manager
ST Company<\/p>\n

AT: Hyke show<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been too busy going to previews to see other shows but Hyke is a favourite in our company, so we all came to show our support. I\u2019ve been to see previews for Doublet and Mister It, which we\u2019re stocking for the first time. We do go overseas but I feel that there are many undiscovered Japanese talents and this week is a great chance to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harumi Sugimoto
Women\u2019s creative director
International Gallery Beams<\/p>\n

AT: Cinoh show<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy but, as long as time allows, I try to go and see fashion shows in Japan and abroad. Year after year I feel that Japanese designers are expanding their presence. Japanese brands are essential to fashion retailers like us. Although we get a sense of the collection by seeing and trying the clothes at the previews, we also like to feel the mood of the brand through the styling and presentation on the runway. Clothes look more powerful on a model, so watching runway shows and presentations help us to discover new brands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Street Style
Rei Shito
The globe-trotting street-style photographer\u2019s take on Tokyo Fashion Week<\/p>\n

A regular in Tokyo\u2019s most fashionable spots, Rei Shito is the Japanese capital\u2019s premier street-style snapper. She started out in Japan\u2019s fashion publications but made her name with her blog, \u2018Style from Tokyo\u2019.<\/p>\n

Doing the rounds<\/p>\n

Tokyo\u2019s Fashion Week marks the start of a mini Asian fashion circuit. At Seoul Fashion Week, established names show as part of the Seoul Collection and young labels are supported by Generation Next. Seoul is now a luxury powerhouse: Chanel\u2019s first standalone flagship, designed by Peter Marino, recently opened in Apgujeong.<\/p>\n

Much of the international interest, however, focuses on what people are wearing on the streets outside the Zaha Hadid\/Samoo-designed main venue, Dongdaemun Design Plaza. \u201cThe area, already a downtown landmark, becomes all the more crowded with street photographers, aspiring designers and curious onlookers,\u201d says Seoul-based journalist Lee Hyo-won. \u201cStreet fashion is the heart and soul of Seoul Fashion Week. The plaza area and the long entryway to the street become the most important runways during the event.\u201d<\/p>\n

More buyers from Europe and the US are attending in recent years. Lee\u2019s label of choice is M\u00fcnn, by Han Hyun-min. \u201cIt focuses on craftsmanship in a market that is saturated by street looks and sporty styles,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Next up is Shanghai Fashion Week \u2013 and it\u2019s a marathon, with 75 shows spread over 13 days. The event, launched in 2003, provides a platform for young talent, native designers working overseas and international names hoping to impress the hugely powerful Chinese market.<\/p>\n

The official Mode Shanghai trade fair runs at the same time, along with six other showroom events boasting 1,200 brands from more than 30 countries. Expect the week to continue to grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tokyo Fashion Week (officially Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo, after its chief sponsor) coincided with the arrival of spring…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61688,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[40026,40027,17272,40028,29358,28053,40029,40030,40031,40032,8,17309,6383,8050,17284,40033,40034,40035,52,40036,40037],"class_list":["post-61687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tokyo","tag-amazon-fashion-week-tokyo","tag-asian-fashion","tag-auralee","tag-comme-des-garcons","tag-fashion-business","tag-fashion-industry","tag-fashion-week","tag-hirofumi-kurino","tag-hyke","tag-issey-miyake","tag-japan","tag-japanese-brands","tag-japanese-fashion","tag-paris-fashion-week","tag-sacai","tag-seoul-fashion-week","tag-shanghai-fashion-week","tag-street-style","tag-tokyo","tag-tokyo-fashion-week","tag-yohji-yamamoto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61687"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61687\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}