JAPAN DAY THREE
Mini horses, neon colors, and a neo-Galliano take over the runway in Tokyo.
NYLON traveler Helen Armide takes a break from traditional tea ceremonies and Hello Kitty mania to report on the third day of Japanese Fashion Week.
Day Three started with yet another sweet collection, this time in the form of easy lingerie-inspired dresses and separates from Matohu. Several long, flowing seventies-style dresses stood out, along with a loose, lightweight silk cotton jacket that’s perfect for warm days that turn into cool nights. The models’ choreographed course was inventive yet somewhat haphazard—perfect for a label that makes pretty, wearable clothing with a twist.
And just when it seemed safe to assume that ultra-experimental designs were out for the week, writtenafterwards offered up quite a theatrical installation. Like mintdesigns, writtenafterwards is helmed by a pair of Central Saint Martens graduates, Kentaro Tamai and Yoshikazu Yamagata. Considering that Yamagata was an assistant designer for John Galliano, it was no surprise that the duo conjured up a fantasy land where veiled princesses traveled in striped pantsuits and metallic shorts the only way they should: on side saddle. The clothes did get a bit lost in the spectacle (the miniature horse was a particularly delightful distraction), and it was a bit hard to gauge what there was to actually wear amidst the wonder onstage. But the burst of inspired design proved that I wasn’t totally wrong in coming to Japanese Fashion Week with the expectation of seeing lots of avant-garde clothes.
The first neon sighting of the week (apart from the heady night-lights and occasional burst of color on feet or face) was at G.V.G.V. The label experimented with bold colors and sculptural shapes on both short bandage dresses and longer pieces. MUG, the visionary behind the line, participated in the 2007 S/S Designers Invitation Project sponsored by UNIQLO, and is working to craft collections that allow the feminine and masculine to happily coexist. Thanks to these efforts, the body conscious clothes cut sharp curves and corners that cleaved to the body, resulting in an hourglass glamour that balanced austere tailoring and fierce femininity without sacrificing movement.
Wondering where to grab some of this garb should you find yourself in Tokyo? Start at Loveless, as this nod to My Bloody Valentine focuses on domestic labels that define the city's streets. Hysteric Glamour is a wildly popular (and pricey) domestic label that is terrific at bridging cartoonish fantasy and fashion, specializing in body conscious get-ups and graphic tees.
The week may be winding down, but there is still much more to come, including dishing with designers...
HELEN ARMIDE
Day Three started with yet another sweet collection, this time in the form of easy lingerie-inspired dresses and separates from Matohu. Several long, flowing seventies-style dresses stood out, along with a loose, lightweight silk cotton jacket that’s perfect for warm days that turn into cool nights. The models’ choreographed course was inventive yet somewhat haphazard—perfect for a label that makes pretty, wearable clothing with a twist.
And just when it seemed safe to assume that ultra-experimental designs were out for the week, writtenafterwards offered up quite a theatrical installation. Like mintdesigns, writtenafterwards is helmed by a pair of Central Saint Martens graduates, Kentaro Tamai and Yoshikazu Yamagata. Considering that Yamagata was an assistant designer for John Galliano, it was no surprise that the duo conjured up a fantasy land where veiled princesses traveled in striped pantsuits and metallic shorts the only way they should: on side saddle. The clothes did get a bit lost in the spectacle (the miniature horse was a particularly delightful distraction), and it was a bit hard to gauge what there was to actually wear amidst the wonder onstage. But the burst of inspired design proved that I wasn’t totally wrong in coming to Japanese Fashion Week with the expectation of seeing lots of avant-garde clothes.
The first neon sighting of the week (apart from the heady night-lights and occasional burst of color on feet or face) was at G.V.G.V. The label experimented with bold colors and sculptural shapes on both short bandage dresses and longer pieces. MUG, the visionary behind the line, participated in the 2007 S/S Designers Invitation Project sponsored by UNIQLO, and is working to craft collections that allow the feminine and masculine to happily coexist. Thanks to these efforts, the body conscious clothes cut sharp curves and corners that cleaved to the body, resulting in an hourglass glamour that balanced austere tailoring and fierce femininity without sacrificing movement.
Wondering where to grab some of this garb should you find yourself in Tokyo? Start at Loveless, as this nod to My Bloody Valentine focuses on domestic labels that define the city's streets. Hysteric Glamour is a wildly popular (and pricey) domestic label that is terrific at bridging cartoonish fantasy and fashion, specializing in body conscious get-ups and graphic tees.
The week may be winding down, but there is still much more to come, including dishing with designers...
HELEN ARMIDE
This story was published on September 4, 2008.
CONTENT RATING:
( 21 )
( 21 )
jayda
09/04/2008
i like it!
emma
09/04/2008
in reply to the bulletin
by hell i would wear them!
some of the coolest dresses i've seen in ages!
stephanie
09/04/2008
if only this booty would fit those cutesy lil outfits i would!
Kathryn Alexander
09/04/2008
I would definitely wear this stuff!
I love the way that the designers utilized the fabric.
Kirsty Marr
09/04/2008
wow i love the second one!
josyleen
09/04/2008
the nude dresses are my fave
Gemma
09/04/2008
that blue dress in the first picture utilizes very figure flattering lines. and it's coolly futuristic. i'd wear that one.
Lauren Michelle
09/04/2008
i actually really like the apparel!!! now we just have to change the minds of americans to not be so critical towards anything thats not a tshirt and jeans!
BRENNAN
09/04/2008
these outfits are brilliant!!to bad you'd get every nasty look in the world if you wore it in America...but helll id still wear it!!!! Thanks for the info HELEN
BRENNAN
09/04/2008
these outfits are brilliant!!to bad you'd get every nasty look in the world if you wore it in America...but helll id still wear it!!!! Thanks for the info HELEN
kyte
09/04/2008
i'd wear it if our country weren't so square and so against wild fashion. i've always been a fan of extreme clothing.
ESME OLYVE
09/04/2008
daaaaaaang if only i could pull any of those off in northwestern indiana, i'd be all over them.
Darlenne
09/04/2008
I'd so wear the stuff in the first and third pictures!
Jasmine
09/04/2008
Pshhhh, of course I would wear this! All of em! They're all awesome :)
JoJo
09/04/2008
I would soooooo wear this stuff... totally wicked... :D
Avery
09/05/2008
I'd wear all of it!! all of it looks so awesome!
aurelia hoang
09/05/2008
for sure i would wear those garments. The dresses by G.V.G.V. are sexy like hell and i love the Matohu style, i would perfectly wear it in Paris.
Fashion is the sense of creativity, it's part of art. This is not made to look like everyone, this is not just clothing industry.
JOHANNA
09/05/2008
wow, the clothes -most of them- look amazing..! but i really wonder why there isn't any asian model on the catwalk. Generaly there aren't many asian which is weird..but even in Japan Fashion Week!!?
jordana
09/05/2008
These are beautiful and inspiring pieces.They make me happy!
LoveBexxx
09/05/2008
Beautiful clothes.
There's no doubt i'de wear all of them, all the time.
Obviously not at the same time.
That would be odd.
...I still think their wonderfully surreal, which sums up my life. Therefore, the clothes would sum up my wardrobe.
Kelly
09/05/2008
To JOHANNA -
You must be confused. The models in the 4th and 6th pictures are Asian.
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