Statuesque models will parade up and down the runway for fashion week in the chicest cities this month including New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Tokyo. Japan Fashion Week kicked off today in Tokyo with designs by Hokuto Katsui & Nao Yagi, Mikio Sakabe & Shueh Jen-Fang, Takumi Hatakeyama, and Eri Utsugi.
Takumi Hatakeyama Collection
My personal favorite was Takumi Hatakeyama. Although I didn’t get the clown afros, the looks were wearable and fashionable. There was a lot of layering but without the bulk since soft fabrics like silk and jersey were used. The details were very feminine including ruffles, tulle, bows, and eyelet.
Takumi Hatakeyama Collection
But some collections just left me pondering, “What were they thinking?” Eri Utsugi for mercibeaucoup fancied the look of Raggedy Ann — remember her, the red-head rag doll with the red and white stripe legs?
Eri Utsugi Collection
But I digress … I just didn’t get the message they sent down the runway. The collection took grunge a little too far, shabby chic may have been the goal, but can we say … um, no. It’s a look only Pippi Longstocking could love. Besides, there was nothing new or avant garde about the collection, there just seemed to be a hodge podge of patterns and prints layered atop of each other — it was a hot mess.
Mikio Sakabe/Shueh Jen-Fang Collection
There were also some futuristic designs. Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen-Fang created a structured collection that was all aglow with metallic shimmer and pale pastels in peach, aqua, and grey. The textures were amazing from pearlized silks to metallic knits, but the collection was somewhat disconnected. Although the color theme and tubular silhouettes were cohesive, there wasn’t fluidity in design — and what’s with the blonde wigs? They scream, “I’m a 1960s Beatles’ fan … look at my bowl hair cut.”
Hokuto Katsui/Nao Yagi Collection
The collection that Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi created for mintdesigns is crazy but creative. There’s an air of frivolity with their shabby but chic designs. There were a few pieces that were too scary for my taste but I got it. The runway resembled a beach boardwalk lined with umbrellas and the models wore patterned raincoats (and rain capris), two-tone galoshes, and carried transparent print umbrellas. They even sported what looked like faux dinosaur bones on their heads … didn’t get that.
Hokuto Katsui/Nao Yagi Collection
One commonality I noticed among many of the shows was a lack of Asian models … what’s the deal with that?
(Photo credits: Japan Fashion Week Organization)
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
