Creating New Fashion

'SUBCUL'
enjoy and live in the now

We want to be able to continue to love the things we already love, to search for something that expresses ourselves, and to live in the now. Shibuya and Harajuku are meccas for young people who express themselves through unique outfits. They are also places where subcultures are born. Using original prints and colorful motifs that emerged from these districts, we presented these unique aspects of Japanese culture to the world at large.

'Bug'
bug in the internet society

The hyper-development of the internet is buggy, leaving our society with glitches that interfere with connections between people. The designer use navy knitted fabric, to represent the designers’ unease about this situation and about people who are losing sight of their essence. Bugs are represented by tucks and twists in the fabric, and our internet world is depicted with silver lame thread.

'Re'
co-existence between people and nature

In these garments, offcuts of fabric or recarded wool have been transformed into new forms, new garments, and represent both the co-existence between people and nature and the cycles witnessed in nature. Wool fabric supplied by Woolen Fabrics of Owari Tsushima has been inkjet-printed with pigment, or gradation-dyed. The remaining fabric has been turned into fibers using a rag machine. The result is then spun into thread and woven once more into fabric, which was also used in these garments. They feature unique designs, dyed colors and hand-weaving, while the materials used are either natural or transparent in order to convey the fact that both people and the environment are natural. The resulting garments exude a free spirit.

'Honne to Tatemae'
Japanese original culture

Honne and tatemae [contrast between true intent and enunciated principle] refers to a mindset that’s unique to Japan, but perhaps people in contemporary society are no longer so skilled at using it. The combination honne and tatemae implies a co-existence of both attitudes. In this section, Honne is represented by pleated and wrinkled black fabric that represents the layers of thought. Tatemae is represented by a stiff white fabric (Fusion, supplied by Asahi Kasei) and the use of mirrors to depict how true intention is concealed.

'COMPACT'
portable business suits

Society today is undergoing dizzying change, and the working population find themselves facing an unprecedented variety of stresses.
The business suit and its challenges are the focus of these garments. The designers have created light and functional business suits that are also foldable and portable. It is cut as a body-fitting suit, and the creases created when the suit is folded are part of the design. These designs represent the creators’ desire to support businesswomen by offering them these unique designs.

'former'
with desires for a bright future

These garments are underpinned by the concept of taking the traditions that have been handed down to us and transforming them with our own hands to encapsulate our desire for a bright future. Various techniques have been used, including Tranformational Reconstruction draping, random pleating, fringing, knitted motifs, and hairpin lace, while Japanese traditional materials such as washi [handmade paper] and kinpaku [gold leaf] are used as decorative features. They are a dazzling representation of the creators’ desires for a bright future.

'Kara'
Cuman tribe × Yoroi

The concept behind Kara is based on the Cuman tribe, with the models making their appearances to the rhythmical beat of ethnic music. Some garments reference the bone patterns used by people from the Cuman tribe, reproducing them in leather rather than body paint. Other garments incorporate representations of Japanese armor, created with plaster-of-Paris bandages and clay. These designs all represent the creators’ desires to protect themselves, to conceal what lies within, and to make them appear strong.

'QALETAQA'
Native American × sashiko

QALETAQA (a Native American name meaning “the protector”) fuses the Native American with the Japanese craft of sashiko [quilting]. These garments convey the inner strength and self-protection—handed down over the generations through connections between individuals—of the people from both countries who live off the land. Bead embroidery, smocking, macramé and sashiko have been applied to materials such as wool and suede to depict the sensitive beauty that underpins the power of indigenous people.

'Sassou'
Tuareg × indigo-dyeing, kiriko

The Tuareg cross, a motif that has been handed down over the centuries, has been combined with a kiriko [cut glass] pattern, discharge dyeing and opalescent burnout finish. These garments are representative of a people who live with positivity and resilience, despite a challenging environment of relentless heat during the day and sudden drops in temperature at night.

'mi×scot'
Scotland × takezaiku

These Tartan garments represent a combination of the tartan fabric of Scottish ethnic dress and Japan’s traditional interweaved bamboo craft of takezaiku, to depict the coming together of people, and tradition and innovation. The sophisticated designs were shown in an innovative way, using lighting and video projections. They not only utilize traditional tartan plaid but also incorporate novel textiles designed by the creators, featuring dyed thread.

'Ichiru'
India × Origami

Environmental issues are of concern to both India and Japan. These garments have been designed partly as a warning about the detrimental results of social progress. They also attempt to convey the underlying hope that the designers have incorporated into the designs by depicting the lotus, the national flower of India, which is a beautiful flower that blooms from muddy waters. Japanese origami has been adopted as a motif, resulting in an asymmetrical silhouette, to which have been added features such as smocking and random pleats to create uneven surfaces that represent contemporary society. In contrast, golden embroidery and sequins represent hope. The result is dazzlingly beautiful dresses that are a typically Indian blend of East and West.

'Ori'
Georgia × Ori

This theme is titled “Ori”, a pun between the word for “two” in Georgian and the pleating, the primary technique applied to this garment, which can be called ori (“fold”) in Japanese. The concept behind these garments is that drawbacks can also represent advantages, and can become abilities. Examples of such combinations of drawbacks and advantages include nervousness/sensitivity, dependency on a group/cooperativeness, and self-centeredness/ambition. The motif employed in the resulting garments is the Georgian ethnic costume, the Chokha. “Sensitivity” is depicted through the use of straight pleats and tucks, “cooperativeness” through the layering or different parts and pleating, and “ambitious desire” through the use of three-dimensional pleating.

'Hana'
Czech Republic × tsumami zaiku

“The purest hearts exude love and invite happiness.”
The designers have created textiles featuring floral motifs from the ethnic costumes of the Czech Republic and Japan. Flowers that signify “happiness” and “love” link the two countries, depicted by using the traditional Japanese craft of tsumami zaiku, along with lace, pearls, and Tyrolean tape.

'Ifuurinzen'
China × armor

These garments link Chinese women who are proud of belonging to an ethnic minority and continue to wear ethnic costume, and independent Japanese women in contemporary society. The dignified strength of the women has been depicted by the use of armor, which features in traditional Japanese culture, while the Chinese element is represented by the colorful patterns of this ethnic minority. The springs used in the garments were supplied by Spring Jewelry, an accessory brand that involves Hidetoshi Murai, who is the third-generation owner of the Goko Hatsujo spring manufacturer in Yokohama, product designer Hiroaki Nishimura, and contemporary sculptor Akira Shikiya. The springs—combining the specialized technology for which Japan is famous and the designs of young Japanese creators—are the key accents of these garments.

'BLAST'
Brazil × Matsuri

When happiness comes together, a powerful force is created which explodes in joy. This explosion eventually ends, but that force remains within us. The joy of Brazilian slaves who were liberated is depicted by the use of colorful and bold
Japanese ukiyoe prints, and ribbon work, in the image of Japanese festivals.

'Mamoru -Kuchikura-'

The first scene is inspired by our second skin, the cuticle, the role of which is to protect an organism’s external skin. The
chrysalis, cocoon, and cuticle inspire these garments, which depict an ability to envelop and protect the human form. The materials used are double-raschel knit and 2-way stretch materials, using a 3D printer to form plastic components and a glue gun for EVA resin components. The result is a texture and three-dimensionality that simply can’t be conveyed by two-dimensional fabric.

'Mamoru -Chi no fu-'

“Wisdom” and “knowledge” are seen as a self-protection mechanism. Ten garments are divided into 3 stages, depicting the process in which this mechanism or ability is gradually acquired. The material used is raw cotton, which has been processed in diverse ways, including drawn thread work, the application of foil, laminating, and wrinkling, with this process depicting an ongoing increase in knowledge.

'Umu ―UNI―'

These garments are based on the students’ concept that clothing has the ability to generate a shared awareness. The students turned to the uniform as a symbol of this, and created space suits. Three types of corrugated-knit fabric, each in a different thickness, were used with mesh and vinyl, with white as the key color. The secondary materials include belt buckles and silver clips to create a consistent look. The unique quilting—inspired by an actual spacesuit—features a unique pattern created with embroidery thread, lame thread and schappe spun thread. The use of the same material in all of the garments creates a sense of solidarity, while the concept of moving in the same direction has been depicted with a futuristic twist. A lot of thought has gone into the pattern for these designs, which takes into consideration the fabric’s shrinkage, using draping to create the shape.

'Arawasu ―exist―'

This garment depicts the contemporary sensibility of young people today who each have their own purpose and intention. The designers turned to the trends popular amongst young people, with a focus on MA-1 bomber jackets, to create garments that represent authenticity (“real clothes”) and which feature flowers. The key colors are browns and khaki, with insert colors of faded pinks, purples and yellows. The primary fabric used is nylon for the MA-1 bomber jackets, and denim, knitted fabric and leather for the other items, with patchwork and slash quilting used to create a range of different looks. With the patchwork pieces, the patches have been created by using the fabric effectively to ensure no fabric is wasted. The patches were then layered onto the base fabric and stitched together with thread. The fabric was also sanded and filed to create a distressed look with impressive results.

'Umu ―Sheen―'

“Sheen” is the theme of these garments, which are based on a concept of “wearing a sheen, moving forward”. An understated sheen has indeed been created by the use of shiny fabrics such as satin and shantung, while femininity has been conveyed through the use of soft fabrics such as chiffon, and cuteness conveyed with organza and tulle. Vinyl has also been used throughout in a diverse range of decorative techniques, with the designers creating new looks that remain consistent with the overall elegance of the garments. This is a series of dramatic clothing that represents the creators’ concept of wearing a sheen and moving forward.

'Tsunagu ―Imamekashi―'

Traditional Japanese motifs play the central role in these garments. A wa (Japanese) element featuring denim has been combined with contemporary styling, and the result is a skillful depiction of the wishes and achievements of our predecessors linked to the future. There are eight garments in this series, with pairs of garments employing the same pattern. The patterns reference nihonga [Japanese style] paintings and traditional designs, adding a contemporary twist to result in something highly original. The designers have explored the many possibilities of textile, employing a variety of processes including screen printing, machine embroidery,
rag weaving and needle punching to transform the coloration and texture of the fabric.

'Kaeru ―Sensen―'

These garments depict the moment at which the best things about our innate selves are released.
Marbling and layered fabrics are used to depict uncertainty and inner conflict, while cracking and uneven dyeing represent the moment of change, and shining transformation has been depicted with bead embroidery. The key colors are neutrals with a focus on greys, with all materials being dyed, including the primary material, leather. The designers have ensured that there is a consistency amongst all the garments. Thin, soft fabrics such as georgette and organdy combine with stiff fabrics such as leather, while the use of queen’s satin as an intermediate material has succeeded in further enhancing the characteristics of the two contrasting fabrics.

'Tsutaeru ―for―'

The concept behind this group of garments is “gratitude” as conveyed by formalwear and gift-wrapping. The garments are inspired by the clothing worn for ceremonies and similar formal occasions. Transparent glass organdie is the principal material use, representing wrapping, while bridal satin conveys a sense of the formal. These garments consist of dress and jacket sets with a nod to formalwear. The bright colored fabrics created with inkjet-print combine with the frills to depict diverse and deep emotions. Horsehair has been used in headdresses inspired by gift-decoration ribbons, resulting in formalwear that is vibrant and happy.

'Kaeru ―Michi―'

We glow as we open new paths.
This is a memorable group of garments, the concept of which is new roads, unknown numbers and unseen worlds, with white used in all of the garments. The primary fabrics used are a matte fabric called diver knit, which has an appropriate
stiffness and yet is light, and synthetic leather. Shiny satin, twill or vinyl have been added as appropriate to each design. The techniques used include pleating, smocking and cutwork, with draping and complex cutting also used. LED tape and USB batteries have been embedded into the garments so that the different materials and the three-dimensionality of the fabric combine with the use of lights to create shadowing and transparency that is uniquely beautiful.