In Tokyo, no matter how vibrant the street fashion scene is, there remains a yearning for a “proper” fashion week.
Only in its fourth year, the 8th Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo (JFW) is quite small compared to the giants that are Paris, Milan and New York.
Considered the fashion capital of Asia, Tokyo is indeed under an immense amount of pressure to legitimize its status in the world of haute couture.
During its first years the JFW was managed by “people in the government.” Now that it is growing in scale, they tapped Akiko Shinoda because of her background in fashion marketing and branding. Shinoda helped foreign brands like Cavalli enter the Japanese market.
Now as Director of International Affairs of the JFW Organization she does the complete opposite by helping Japanese designers grow internationally.
PHILIPPINE STAR: JFW is very young, while Japanese designers have been acclaimed for decades. Why did it start only four years ago?
SHINODA: Before, each designer mounted individual shows. All the different shows were spread between the timeline of two months. This was very inconvenient for international buyers and the press as they didn’t have that much time to spare in Tokyo. It was the Japanese government that decided to consolidate as a way to promote Japanese fashion. They are the catalysts and still fund half of JFW. The other half comes from private sponsors like Elle, Takashimaya and Shiseido.
How did JFW change the status quo?
In the ‘80s, Japanese designers saw Paris Fashion Week as the only step to global success. Now, local designers aim to succeed in Japan before moving abroad. Most Japanese designers are very focused on Japan and also China.
Japanese fashion is mostly associated with street fashion. Why are so many resources being given to haute couture?
Street fashion is only one side of Japanese fashion, albeit the most visible. There are a lot of good designers like GVGV, Heath, Aguri Sagimori and Everlasting Sprout that have yet to be fully exposed globally.
Also, JFW showcases other facets of the industry such as textiles.
Japanese fabrics are very affordable and of good quality, but it is not as revered as, say, Italian wool.
Big brands like Chanel use our fabrics but consumers do not know that. We want to heighten the profile of the industry as a whole through JFW.
There’s been a lot of talk that Japan Fashion Week is not as exciting as the others. Do you agree?
Well, I would agree that it was too much like a “trade show” in the past. There were few parties and not much prestige. We are trying to improve this by bringing in more people with a fashion background to run the group. We also decided to schedule JFW after the Paris collection from now on so all the press and buyers can mark it on their calendars.
Tying up with industry is also essential. For example, this time we collaborated with AVEX Entertainment to create a link with fashion, music and celebrities, which is just natural.
The recession has changed the way fashion weeks were conducted in Paris and New York. How has it affected Japan?
Well, it has affected the outlook of designers, retailers and consumers. Before, all three were looking outside to Europe and America for inspiration.
Today, Japanese people prefer Japanese brands, and the designers and retailers are also looking inward. I believe the crisis has changed the power balance and this is quite advantageous for us.
What are your future plans for JFW?
The international interest in “Cool Japan”—cultural aspects such as anime, art, fashion, J-pop etc.—is still strong. I want to integrate this into Japan Fashion Week to make it more dynamic.
I also want to expand our partnership with AVEX. They were the brains behind the extremely successful Tokyo Girls Collection, so in the future we’d also like to have a similar event to encourage more interaction.
Apart from the usual glitz and glamour, what is unique about Japan Fashion Week?
Unlike everywhere else, it starts on time.
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Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo runs from March 23-29, 2009.
For more information visit: http://www.jfw.jp/