With the increased number of public and fashionable brands in the last week in Tokyo Fashion Week kicked off "Fall-Winter '08-'09" with collections from leading Japanese designers.
[Hiroko Kosino (left) with the model at the opening of Fashion Week in Japan, where she delivered a speech on behalf of all designers in Japan.]
A positive point is the fact that this event is officially included in the government's budget for fiscal year 2007, which ends this month. Nevertheless, the joy of this somewhat overshadowed by the growth of ideas, that «Tokyo Girls Collection», show that focuses on consumers, which was held in Tokyo in the same week may be even more influential in the machinations that determine the ultimate fate of the Fashion Week in Japan.
Fashion Week "Fall-Winter '08-'09" was held from 10th to 16th March in Roppongi and other locations throughout Tokyo. In some ways it was the most successful ever since, as was held here in 2005, twice a year.
A total of 44 was held a fashion show, including the Fashion Week "Spring Leto'08", the total number of participants who made man 18100-19100. Still, there are a number of problems. Source of frustration for many visitors is the lack of former headliners, such as «DressCamp» and «mercibeaucoup». The first brand chose Paris Tokyo and the other held his show on Tuesday, but separately from Fashion Week.
This event has been criticized for lack of quality labels. In the words of Jean-Francois Soler (Jean-Francois Soler), director of the Association news from the world of fashion «Station Service» (France): "Some have demonstrated a very innovative and fun ideas, but others do not have enough energy in comparison with the designers, which we see in the other world show. " To combat this, the outcome of the organizers of Fashion Week in Japan have decided to use strategy to attract young designers.
This year, to participate were invited to 11 labels, including "It Motonari» («Motonari Ono» ;) and "Aguri Sugimori» («Aguri Sagimori» ;), named after the designers, without paying a regular contribution to the mandatory 1.7 million. ¥.
Some brands were not up to par
Despite the overall positive moment attempt to revive, the reverse side of such actions is to focus on youth, which may give the event a raid dilettantism. This could be a problem and writes by e-mail 31-year-old Seitiro Ito (Soichiro Ito), who chose to participate after one of Fashion Week in 2005, when designers are not willing to participate in Fashion Week in Japan - in terms of quality and originality of their product - then they should not participate.
Responding to a question, Nobuyuki Ota (Nobuyuki Ota), president of «Issey Miyake Inc.» (One of the organizers of the Forum of fashion strategy that deals with the device in Japan Fashion Week since its inception in 2005), agrees, saying that he also believes that some brands were not high enough and ready.
[Akira Amari, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, at the opening of Fashion Week in Japan.]
" Some do not even bother to show samples to buyers so they could give their assessment", - he said during a recent interview. In addition, it is logical that there can be problems for designers, they arise from the organizers and with customers.
Paul Everitt (Paul Everitt), the buyer of the British trading house «Shinshi», complained: "We had problems getting information about the show, in fact we do not know until then, until it passed. "
This lack of information in English - not to mention Chinese or Korean - there is, despite the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, METI) and its partners in the management of the foreign trade of Japan (OVTYA; Japan External Trade Organization, JETRO). It will be recalled that until 2005 Japan Fashion Week did not exist as such. Under the authority of the very liberal fashion (Tokyo), each label showing pursued when wanted, resulting in seasonal collections were stretched over several months.
Within three years, says Ota, "Council of Fashion Designers did not have any money, so we do not promote our activities abroad." In 2005, METI has made quite an unexpected attachment, resulting in all the separate events were combined into a single saturated activities per week, and were organized by the relevant press conference with foreign journalists invited to cover events (all of the costs offset.) However, none of the invited journalists were not returned at the next fashion week in Japan on their own.
This in turn suggests that at least one of the objectives set by METI - to make Tokyo the center of the fashion industry in Asia - as apparently was not achieved. Currently, the Fashion Week held in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai and comment Ota, who, perhaps, is taste of defeat, is nevertheless quite true: "In this world, entangled in a web of the Internet, no longer is the question of a single place - the "center". What really is important is your identity. "
With this past Fashion Week in Japan was included in the budget for fiscal 2008, which will begin in Japan on 1 April. 29th February this year, when the LDP draft budget dragged through the Lower House, Japan Fashion Week officially became a national business. So part of 600 million yen and perepadet her.
However, the reality is that these funds represent a reduction in funding of Fashion Week in Japan, which is now "will get much less money than in the past, " says Ota, adding that organizers are now on their shoulders the responsibility to find more fashion than in the past.
Other changes include the renaming of the Forum of the Organization Strategy Fashion Fashion Week in Japan. Although this sounds like a bureaucratic detail, this fact actually reflects changes in the legal status of the group from being able to just be a "group of individuals" to the company. This fact is an indication that the government apparently hopes that this group would one day become an independent corporation.
A revolutionary type of show
" In this show you could see the mannequins from top to bottom", - said Ota, a revolutionary new type of show might be able to fundamentally change the way the demonstration models
[Catwalk by «Mintdesigns» Fashion Week in Japan.]
In 2005, when the METI has agreed with the Council of Fashion Designers of the Week fashion in Japan, an online seller of fashion Girlswalker.com sold clothes for teens and young women in the amount of 10 billion yen. Encouraged by this success, the owner of the site «Xavel Inc.», Organized an ambitious show «Tokyo Girls Collection». They basically invited local, cheaper labels on one-day show, held at the stadium with a capacity of over 20,000 people.
Given the focus on customers, all represented by the model were distributed immediately through the Internet, and this fact, as they say, hit the mark. For example, last week demonstrated a model that will be relevant only after six months, and «Tokyo Girls Collection», meanwhile, is selling the model in spring-summer season, which may put women customers today and tomorrow.
" I« Tokyo Girls Collection »There is a certain tension, " - says Ota. - "If brands are not satisfied with the good shows, sell them immediately affected." A similar situation occurs with consumers either buy something now or next week it will no longer fashionable. This tense situation on both sides creates a «Tokyo Girls Collection» a fuss, which is absent in the Fashion Week in Japan.
" The show of Fashion Week all those sad and gloomy, there's no emotion" - recognizes Ota. Interestingly, he notes that the hype «Tokyo Girls Collection» reminds him of the desperate battle of brands in the Paris collections, which are fighting for the attention of international media and buyers. Realizing this gap, Ota during an interview in 2005, NHK did not forget to offer «Tokyo Girls Collection» (TGC) and Fashion Week to do something together.
" You should have seen this reaction!" - He says. - "The people from the fashion industry thought I was crazy.They looked at it as a joint team from the league with the students. "
[Model of the «Tokyo Girls Collection» Fashion Week in Japan.]
Nevertheless, TGC is growing every day (for example, at the end of this month will be held on their show in Beijing), at least, some players in the world of high fashion began to notice it. The result is two sites that offer special models with girlswalker.com, and it nuan.gr.jp visport.jp, which visitors can buy the products of permanent members of the Fashion Week in Japan, such as «GVGV» and «kamishimo Tinami" ("Kamishima Chinami » ;). Perhaps even more troubling sign for the Fashion Week will be the fact that the style of «TGC» «from business to consumer" is distributed widely over the age range of 15-24 years.Catwalk Tokyo
Famous Brand «mercibeaucoup» decided to arrange a showing this season outside of Fashion Week, since the current format does not allow her to spend two fashion shows - for representatives of domestic industry and to consumers directly. Acting alone, she took a place in Ebisu, and lottery method has invited its 500 regular customers. Meanwhile, in the mark the construction of its new building in the heart of Akasaka Sacas Tokyo television network TBS has organized event on the catwalks of Tokyo, which is scheduled for today.Headlining this event will address a number of brands with fashion week, both old and new, including «ato» and «DressCamp».
[Catwalk by «Ato» Fashion Week in Japan.]
In the past, no TV company did not provide funding Fashion Week shows and just some of at least given some publicity. Now one of the most influential companies alone is skipping the show. In any case, Council of Fashion Designers and their patrons in the METI should take notice. This is because the venerable organization continue to make attempts to make the semi-moist and fashion shows, arranged for manufacturers, not only commercially successful interventions, but also a new form of mass entertainment.