Tokyo Fashion Week Collection Reviews

Here are a few of my Tokyo Fashion Week Collection Reports: (also posted to SavvyTokyo.com)

Johan Ku Gold Label

London based designer, Johan Ku, has won several awards for his sculpture-like shapes and hand knitted textiles used in his work. Showing collections in New York, Paris and Tokyo, the namesake brand has created an international reputation for fusing fashion design and art in each series

Johan Ku’s Spring 2015 collection commenced with elastic waist, vegan leather Bermuda shorts, double collared floral print blouses and hand crafted, rosebud fabric ornaments adorned to skirts and dresses. The deep colors of midnight blue, plum purple, and moss green exuded a murky, garden inspired theme to the sequence. Leather was worked into many pieces included peplum tops, skirts, and vests. Floral prints for both men and women were shown on denim jackets, pleated skirts and leggings. The designer’s collection masterpieces’ were easily the  dresses and tops featuring exceptional flower blossoms, strategically clustered into beautiful bouquets.

Yoshio Kubo

After working for four years along side haute couture designer, Robert Danes, Yoshio Kubo returned to Japan launching his own line in 2004. Making its first appearance on the runways in 2008, Kubo creates his collections with the intent to making people think and analyze what they are wearing.

The menswear designer kicked off the runway show with jive music, models with beards and fashions keeping up with the label’s cool-guy swag reputation. Fisherman’s nets, flags and vintage luggage were used as props to support the “lost sailor at sea” vibe in the series.  Camouflage, stripes and flamingo pink floral prints were seen on varsity jackets, blazers, sweatshirts and shorts with suspenders. Fishermen’s vests and netted tops were styled under sports jackets and the season’s trend of fringe was used on graphic sweatshirts styled under bomber jackets.

In Process by Hall Ohara

Central Saint Martin’s graduates, Steven Hall and Yurika Ohara are the masterminds behind the label IN-PROCESS.  The designers both share a love for surrealism, and playful techniques towards print making. The premise of their label is “capturing the energy of the garment that is in the process of being made.”

Seeking inspiration from Mexican aesthetics, the designers fused their clean, structured silhouettes with prints and textiles motivated by Mexican tiles, stencils and architecture. The label staples of shift dresses, cardigans, cropped trousers and clean silhouettes were seen in vivid greens, vibrant colored stripe and prints with nods to the 60’s as well as the intended Mexican influence. Trendier pieces such as peplum skirts and tops, bomber jackets and fitted pencil skirts modernized the print-centric series.