Japan Fashion Week Kicks Off in Tokyo

  • 14 years ago
Japan Fashion Week kicks off in Tokyo. Hundreds of fashionists flock to see the latest collection by one of Japan's veteran designers. Here's more.

Japan Fashion Week kicked off on Monday as hundreds of fashionistas gathered in midtown Tokyo to see the latest from local designers.

One of the first designers to hit the catwalk this season was Hiroko Koshino, a veteran Japanese designer known for her art-inspired works focusing on calligraphy and traditional Japanese art.

[Hiroko Koshino, Fashion Designer]:
"I used a lot of patterns using Japanese ink which is a distinctive art style of the East. The Tokyo collection is based on my art and I really focused on the textile when making the collection."

Models strutted down the runway in long white dresses - each with a drawing in Japanese ink - attracting the eyes of over a hundred people in the audience.

Colorful wraped dresses with a lighter textile as well as various fitted one-piece suits highlighted the runway towards the end of the show also highlighting Koshino's versatility.

The designer presented her latest collection in Paris just weeks before showcasing in Tokyo.

[Hiroko Koshino, Fashion Designer]:
"The nervousness I get from presenting a collection in Paris and Tokyo is totally different. In Paris, it's more about the buyers and press, whereas in Japan it's more about the individual fans who wear my clothes on a daily basis."

Koshino says Japan Fashion Week is the best place for young local designers to gain exposure and recognition.

[Hiroko Koshino, Fashion Designer]:
"If a Japanese designer were to succeed in attracting a Japanese market, it will definitely open up a huge opportunity towards the foreign market."

As a veteran in the fashion industry, Koshino leads the up-and-coming Japanese designers at the Japan Fashion Week, which continues through the end of this month.

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