Japan has rich culture, unique heritage and long history, and with it comes their radical, quirky and sometimes, extreme sense of fashion. Japan has a reputation of being one of the fashion epicenters, thanks to their unique styles. While holding onto their tradition, they embraced contemporary modern style from the West to present a groundbreaking, new sense of fashion. The current Japanese street fashion has one common ground – to fuse their local culture with contemporary style, and present it to the world. The Land of the Rising Sun has many names that shines brightly in the field of Costume Designing and Styling. Read onto to find out what names made it to the list of our top 10.
1. Yohji Yamamoto
Born on October 3rd 1943, Yohji Yamamoto is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. One of the fashion pioneers taking the West by storm, Yohji Yamamoto was one of the firsts to employ the Wabi Sabi concept into his works. Considered as a master tailor, he is known for his avant-garde designing featuring Japanese aesthetics, collaborations, excessive use of the colour black, portraying free-spirited concept using crafty tailoring and androgynous silhouettes with a concealing notion. Compared to the likes of Madeleine Vionnet, Yamamoto has won notable awards for his contribution to the fashion industry.
2. Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake is a notable Japanese designer, known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances (notably, L’eau d’Issey), and defying conventional ways of western costume designing. He was one of the first of the few Japanese designers to have a show in Paris and the first to restructure sartorial conventions. He contrasted to the western way of fitted silhouette and exposed body contours for women clothing, and instead introduced loose, baggy designs, focusing on comfort and aesthetics.
3. Rei Kawakubo
Born October 11th 1942, Rei Kawakubo is a Tokyo and Paris based Japanese fashion designer. Founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market, she is known for including asymmetrical, monochromatic and voluminous aesthetics in her work. She rejected the concept of feminine beauty, demonstrated boldly by her works focused on perfectly imperfect cuts, asymmetrical designs, and excessive use of black, making Japanese avant-garde aesthetics coherent.
4. Junya Watanabe
Born in Fukushima, Japan in 1961, Junya Watanabe is considered the unofficial protégé of Rei Kawakubo. He takes avant-garde to a whole new level, creating something new all the time in a refreshing way. He is known to have a flair for pattern manipulation, conceptual designs, and innovative techniques. Creating eccentrically structured clothes made out of modern, technical materials, he is considered as a ‘techno couture’ designer.
5. Nigo
Born on December 23rd 1970, Tomoaki Nagao (goes by Nigo) is a Japanese fashion designer, DJ, record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known for his creation Bape (A Bathing Ape), an urban clothing line. His works are known for logo heavy designs and iconic Ape motif. If someone loves hip-hop, they most probably will know Nigo. The likes of Kanye West and B.I.G. have worn his label.
6. Tsumori Chisato
Born on 12th November 1954 in Saitama, Japan; Chisato Tsumori cut her teeth on fashion industry as an apprentice to Issey Miyake under the ‘Issey Sports’ line, which was later renamed as ‘I.S.’Chisato Tsumori Designs. Being an admirer of French culture and fashion, she opened her first free-standing shop in Paris in 1999. Her works draw inspiration from Japanese culture and manga, contemporary art, felines, and various other sources. They are considered to have a “healthy dose of manga/bohemian cuteness”, focused around her wonderful prints.
7. Sk8thing
Sk8thing is the lead designer of the streetwear brand Bape, as well as designed for Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. The enigmatic designer behind the brand, Shinichiro Nakamura, has worked with NEIGHBORHOOD and Undercover, some of the biggest names in streetwear. He has always kept a mysterious yet low-profile, but recently stepped out for the creation of Cav Empt, with British collaborator Toby Feltwell. He is known for his mysterious public persona, and understanding of building brands with a charming appeal.
8. Tadashi Shoji
Born on 15th January 1948 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; Tadashi Shojo is an American-based Japanese fashion designer renowned for his evening wear, bridal wear, and his red-carpet fashion. Showing an interest in painting and drawing at a young age, he later went on to become the apprentice of Jiro Takamatsu. He uses traditional techniques to turn stretched fabrics into elegant, easy-to-wear silhouettes. His techniques include draping and ruching, plenty of tulle, and stretch-jersey, make the wearer feel comfortable and elegant.
9. Nicola Formichetti
Born in 1977, Nicola Formichetti has both Japanese and Italian ancestry. He was the former stylist of pop star Lady Gaga. The award-winning fashion designer, is the artistic director of Diesel, fashion director for Uniqlo and Vogue Hommes Japan, and also a contributing editor to a number of leading fashion magazines. His high-profile and upbeat collections are noticeably influenced by his surroundings and habits.
10. Shinsuke Takizawa
Shinsuke Takizawa is a Japanese fashion designer born in Japan’s Nagano prefecture. Showing a keen interest in fashion at a young age, he went on to become one of the biggest and most sought-after brands on Japan’s high-end and streetwear scenes. He is the founder and creative director behind NEIGHBORHOOD (NBHD). Having a knack for reimagining and elevating classic staples, Takizawa has blended workwear and streetwear attracting admirers from current times.
