Japan Fashion Week Battles Hurdles

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Japan Fashion Week Battles Hurdles

Japan Fashion Week Battles Hurdles
by Amanda Kaiser
Posted Friday August 29, 2008

TOKYO — To look at it on paper, nothing about the young designers who participate in Japan Fashion Week adds up. They have little, if any, name recognition outside of their home country; their tiny businesses sell mostly within the domestic market, which has a sluggish economy many fear is heading into recession, and they produce their collections almost entirely in Japan using some of the world’s most expensive labor and fabrics.

To put it bluntly, it’s a wonder many of the labels showing at Japan Fashion Week, which kicks off Monday and runs through Sept. 5, stay in business. But the fact is, these companies are managing to survive, stitching their...


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*from wwd...can someone post the entire article please?
thanks in advance...

[D'Felipe]

This is a shame. The Japanese designers are very talented and I'm continually appalled at the little to no recognition they recieve from the fashion world (and this is years after likes of Yohji, Rei, Issey, Kenzo etc. have japanese labels on the map) . No one even posts the JFW schedual or show coverage on here and I consider this website to be filled with some of the most fashion concious people on the net.

It's so backards too, that the Japanese are the leading consumers of western luxury labels and the only attention they get from the west are by manga lovin gothic lolita wannabe's like Gwen Stefani... Sad

[runner]

personally I don't post it just because it is japanese.
I post it when I think it is nice or interesting or relevant.
the younger generation, who has a talent that deserves recognition, is getting a fair regard from people whether the west or the far east, if you really pay attention to what is going on and look around.
btw, there are already threads for how dresscamp is doing. please try looking around more carefully.





about part of the article posted, there can be some reasons those designers stay in business.
for example one of them has a family who is distinguished among the texitile industry,
which is definitly its strength.
but it's not like a profligate kid's pastime. it's meritocracy, and hard work.
the designer entered one of the most eminent ateliers on its own merits, underwent some other training, etc.
the business can be called tiny as the article says, but it's also like an intimate little designer shop. although it is ready-to-wear which does runway, the service is as good as that of your local tailor.
the label is managing by both designing good unique clothes and (the designer in person too) giving good service.

[runner]

FWD



A Taste of Japan Fashion Week in New York

Renata Espinosa
August 21st, 2008 @ 4:57 PM - New York

Japan Fashion Week’s Spring 2009 season of collections commences on Sept. 1, but for those New York residents unable to make the journey to Tokyo, Japan Fashion Week (JFW) organized a showcase of some of Japan’s most promising emerging designers - Ato, Mikio Sakabe, Somarta, Ylang-Ylang, G.V.G.V., Mercibeaucoup and Ne-Net at the newly opened Japanese-owned boutique Aloha Rag on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in New York.


The designs on view offered a distinct sampling of the range of styles that will be present at Japan Fashion Week. From the humor and whimsy of Ne-Net (a printed sweatshirt dress had a hood that resembled bunny ears) to the bold, almost cartoonish work of Mercibeaucoup, to the couture finishing of Somarta modern elegance of Ato, JFW hoped that with the impressive selection they would bolster the visibility of Japanese fashion design in the U.S., and perhaps encourage more foreign press and buyers to travel to Tokyo for the collections in the future. Last season, JFW reported a 25 percent increase in the number of foreign media in attendance.


Another case in point of the increased awareness of emerging Japanese talent: Alongside the JFW mannequins and models at Aloha Rag, the store’s own rack of pieces by Ylang-Ylang were on sale, an indication of the increasing availability of some of these Japanese designers stateside.



Somarta, Ato, Ylang-Ylang, G.V.G.V

[runner]

Ne-Net, Mercibeaucoup, Mikio Sokabe

[Scott]

^the colour blocked dress is mikio?

i'm interested to learn who that white look with the black embellishments on the mannequin is by?

[runner]

you mean colour blocked as the pink Scott? if so, yes mikio sokabe
the white/black is by ylang-ylang





news flash from pana
more pics will be up soon here and there

mintdesigns

[Scott]

^ i love mint,i have to say basic shapes and silhouettes but with a real quirky twist. those prints look fantastic.

and the mikio seems rather disappointing to me. hopefully its just the one and i'll see more during JFW. hope i won't be as i haven't been disappointed by him yet.

[gius]

so their home country is keeping them alive
as well as the novelty textile companies...
that's great