Odradek and Hisui

A few more shows from Wednesday October 22nd. You can also read my review of Mint Designs on Canadian String Magazine. I will also be writing a review of Everlasting Sprout as well. Stay tuned..

Odradek

Designer Demian Celica studied fashion and textile at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. During design school she worked for Camilla Staerk; Hussein Chalayan and Kenzo. After working for Reem, she established her line ODRADEK in 2008. Visit her website here.

It was nice to see a men's collection at Japan Fashion Week this year although I am not sure how many pieces would be bought by male consumers. The looks for this "Hallelujah" entitled show were a mix of rock and roll and punk with some white lace layers thrown in. Many of the pieces could be worn as separates but were over styled and over accessorized. There were pearls, flowers, studs and lace paired with sneakers and high boots. There was too much going on!

Hisui

Hiroko Ito graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1990. She worked for COMME des GARCONS from 1994 to 1998. In 1998, she launched 00S/S (zerozeroesuesu) and in 1999, HISUI. She has since presented collections in Paris and Tokyo.

The collection consisted of an all white theme. She sent some amazing dresses and separates down the runway. The models wore sky high platform wedges and simple make up. The highlight of this collection was the mirrored dresses. Ito attached what looked like geometric mirrors on the garments creating three dimensional looks. She emphasized the shoulders in one of the dresses with this technique. The cut out bathing suits were memorable. Visit her website here.

All photos via JFW.

Suzuki Takayuki

The first show of the day on Wednesday October 22 was Suzuki Takayuki. His exhibition took place at the Art Complex in Shinjuku and I was extremely lucky to have found it after asking for directions every block along the way!

Suzuki Takayuki graduated from the Tokyo Zokei University with a degree in Graphic Design. He established his own label in 2002 and has been presenting collections at Japan Fashion Week since 2007/2008 A/W. He opened his own shop in the Shibuya PARCO in September 2009 and has since established two other lines, “Ikkuna/suzukitakayuki” and “toha.”

After arriving at the Art Complex I descended a dark, winding staircase to access Takakyuki's collection in the basement of the Art Complex. I arrived quite early for the first show and had the opportunity to take photos along with other members of the press before the first show began. You had to walk through a curtain to get to his collection which was presented in a room completely draped in white fabric. There was also a stunning mural that covered the entire back wall. The mural consisted of images taken of a dancer in different poses in his clothing. His intention of the mural? To show the movement of clothes, accomplished!


The color scheme of the collection revolved entirely around black and white. The layering of the garments was phenomenal. Exhibitions are great because you are able to see the clothes up close and examine the craftsmanship. The installation, entitled “A Moment,” focused on light, sound, movement and the passing of time. The materials consisted primarily of knit cottons and silks. Key looks included black fitted blazers paired with short skirts of multiple layers as well as full skirts, high collars, and cinched waists. One would think that all these layers would make the garments look bulky but they did not. The draping was also fantastic. Each look was more unique and eye catching than the next, however they were a little heavy for Spring. Perhaps they could be worn as separates. Please visit his website here.

Through the mannequins.

A closer look at the mural.

From afar.

Luxe by Plugin

Luxe by Plugin is a special exhibition hosting designers from around the world but especially from Japan. The event took place at Bellesale in Roppongi. The first floor featured clothing and the second featured beauty products and household goods. This was my second time attending the Luxe by Plugin show. Each designer has their own booth and press and visitors can speak with them and look at their collections. There were a few designers I recognized from last year and a few new ones too! The designers were eager to chat and show us their creations. Thanks to all for answering our questions!

Shida Tatsuya

I am really fond of Shida's work. Last year he presented a collection at the Shinmai Creator's Project. He is from Shizuoka and he even has a store in my home town city of Numazu! This year he was inspired by '80s looks and fabrics. He loves dying materials and changing them into his own eclectic creations. His pieces were more subtle this year, geared toward everyday where but just as intricately crafted. Keep your eye out for Shida Tatsuya in the future!

Shida with one of his favorite pieces.

Fumio

Designer Akiyama started his career working with Issey Miyake in 1979 before establishing his own company, A. WORK STUDIO in 1996. He signed a contract with Sanyo Shokai in 1999 and was chief designer of TAOC. He started his own label, FUMIO in May 2003 and also showed his first collection at Japan Fashion Week. He has been presenting his work at ATMOSPHERE Paris since October 2006. You can visit his website here.

Akiyama cuts and alters fabrics to make unique pieces that are not seen anywhere else in Japan. The material selection and production all take place in Japan. He is incredibly skilled at using materials to mimic others, for instance, there was one beautiful top that was made of polyester but felt like silk! Akiyama usually shows his collection bi-annually in Paris.

Akiyama is known for his
unique three dimensional cuts.

Numb Plural Shoes

I have never seen any shoes like these before! They are handmade...rightdown to the shoe laces. The theme for this season was taking out the unnecessary parts of shoes. For every different pair of shoes I saw, there was a different design. The looks are originally created perfectly and then altered by distressing afterward.

The designer, Machiko Yoshizoe, was incredibly helpful and eager to talk about the brand. The label's original inception was geared towards men's shoes, but since last November they have been designing for women too. She also introduced us to her booth neighbor, Cover.

The Numb Plural Booth.

Cover

This label is particularly inspired by Okinawa. The designer, Issei Higa, created the looks using Yukari material. The clothes were immaculately designed and great for casual day wear. Visit the website here.

The designers from Numb Plural
and Numb Shoes together!

Sakagu chi-ko

More shoes! There were some definite eye-catchers here! There were casual as well as more elegant evening looks. These shoes are produced in Japan and sold at select department stores.

Fabulous boots of course!

Magic Stone/Nandamo Premium Soap

On the cosmetics and household products floor we met the CEO and designers of The Magic Stone Nandamo Premium Soap. They were eager to tell us about their unique product and even gave us a sample. I have yet to try it yet but I am sure it will be fabulous! The soap is made of natural products. Unfortunately the website is only in Japanese but you can visit the site here.

Cutting the stone.

Day 2: The Dress and Co., Aguri Sagimori and G.V.G.V.

The Dress and Co. Hideaki Sakaguchi

Hideaki Sakaguchi graduated with a degree in interior design from Hosei University. He worked at Designers' Maison before starting JELLY GARCIA in 2002 which he renamed as The Dress and Co. HIDEAKI SAKAGUCHI from '09-'10 A/W. Last year he presented his collection at RENDEZ-VOUS, Paris and he has now started to receive orders from stores worldwide! Visit his website here for more information.

I was excited to see what Sakaguchi would do this year! You can see my write up about his collection from last season here. There was a variety of pieces that were very appealing. There were ruffles, jean vests, great blazers and layers upon layers. There were also some great kaki and cord blazers and suits that would work well for office wear in the spring. The make-up was simple and the hair was parted and pulled back. As you can see from the images below, each piece is immaculately designed with incredible attention to detail.

Layers, layers, layers!
Always popular in Japan.

The models walked along a tile
runway.

This look flowed elegantly
down the runway.


Aguri Sagimori

Aguri Sagimori graduated from Vantan Design Institute in 2007. She has won numerous awards including the New Designer Fashion Grand Prix (2007) and the Nagoya Fashion Grand Prix Contest (2007). She showed her first collection at Tokyo Collection Week in March 2008.

After doing some shopping and having a fantastic Indian dinner, we rushed to line up for the Aguri Sagimori show. The line up was very long but we managed to get in and get a good seat about three rows back. You could sense the excitement and anticipation in the audience for this show. Finally, after getting everyone seated, the show began.

The models flew down the runway wearing rhinestones, studs, chains and silver make-up. There were some great trench coats, harem pants and shorts. The sheer fabric and black lace hard edged trends were continued here. One of the designs that stood out the most for this collection was the vests. They barely covered the back. They came just around the point of the shoulder blades. She designed them in a variety of colors and I wanted to wear every one of them!

An amazing purse.

Cool silver vest.

Love this body suit.


G.V.G.V.

MUG graduated from the Kuwasawa Design School and launched G.V.G.V. in 1999. She has presented collections at the Designers Invitation Project held by Uniqlo (2007) and the Designers Invitation for UT (2008). For more information visit here website here.

Last year Treasure Seeker Colleen attended and reviewed this show. You can see the post here. Having missed the show last season, I was eager to see what this season had in store! The show was set in the largest venue Hall at Tokyo Midtown. There were disco balls, flashing spotlights and what looked like glitter everywhere! It was difficult to see in the dark, but it looked like there were upwards of sixty photographers taking pictures.

Again, there were studs, rhinestones and everything was bedazzled. Many of the pieces were white and featured studs. Harem pants, cropped tops, skirts and tasseled pants were styled with high platform peep toe studded boots. The majority of the looks were white however, there were a few blues and blacks thrown into the mix. The clothes would be great for a night out or a fabulous event. The production of the whole show was quite impressive and left us wanting to watch it again!

(Image by Clothes Line Finds)

(Images via JFW)

Japan Fashion Week Opening Fashion Show and Party

After a full day of shows on Monday, Leah and I attended the Japan Fashion Week Opening Fashion Show and Party. The event was held outside at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. It was a warm night, especially for October, as everyone gathered together to celebrate the beginning of Fashion Week.

The fashion show consisted of a number of different looks from different designers presenting collections at fashion week. The show began with men 's wear and the men stormed out of a cloud of smoke and down the runway to hard techno beats. Shortly after, the women followed wearing a very eclectic mix of pieces. The show was fantastic and really helped to set the tone for the days to come! Last season Japan Fashion Week did not host an opening celebration, show or event. It was a great way to get people energized and excited about the event! Bravo!

The after party was a carnival theme. We were given tickets at the door for different booths. There were masks, fishing, a live dj and a wide variety of people from the industry. It was a great event and a good way for everyone to kick back after an exhausting day of shows! It was difficult to get pictures but here are a few.

The outdoor ceiling at Tokyo Midtown.

Waiting for the show to begin!

It was packed!

I wanted the dj's jacket!