Tales from a fledgling fashion designer in Tokyo: Leanne Yew

Meet: Leanne Yew, 25, Australian-born Chinese

Aspiration: To establish a fashion brand in Japan

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Leanne Yew in event-planning mode

Parental advice

Long before she became a Tokyo-based fashion designer, Australian-born Leanne Yew could be found ransacking the treasure trove of fabric, ribbon, beads and bits and bobs her mother had stored in the family playroom. 

“I knew of the treasures that could be found there to add a special touch to whatever I was creating,” Leanne remembers.

“When I started to create things for others, mom would always inspect all my stitches and either criticize or approve; as she had had formal training in her youth as a tailor,” she adds.

And while her mother was critiquing seams or shaking her head at Leanne’s bold designs, “dad would always pop his head in, be amused by the situation, wonder where all the material had come from and how much money I had spent,” she says.

As a chartered accountant, her father passed on business insights that she would later put to use in starting her line. 

A kaleidoscope of fashion

More than anything, Leanne’s parents taught her how to face obstacles. “Both my parents have always been extremely hard working and that taught me to see that anything can be positive depending on your interpretation: for every setback that occurs, I just think of it as a new challenge to overcome.”

Tokyo Kaleidoscope, Leanne’s line of one-of-a-kind garments made from vintage kimonos, began as a challenge. Leanne has suffered from eczema since she was young and could rarely find fashionable designs in comfortable fabrics like cotton, silk, and linen, which wouldn't irritate her skin. Most mass-produced fashion uses synthetic material to keep production costs down. 

自身の作品のモデルを務める Leanne Yew

Knowing Tokyo as a fashion hub for the Asia-Pacific region and Japan as an ideal market for clothing kind to sensitive skin, Leanne came with her idea and a business management degree to Nakano, west Tokyo. When she arrived, she found obstacles of a different sort. 

“I always find it amusing that because I am of Asian heritage, the masses assume I am a Japanese native,” Leanne says. 

Managing expectations as an Asian face

Though the Japanese fashion world is increasingly using English in its international dealings, Leanne started studying Japanese to diminish the gap between people’s expectations and her spoken language skills.

When she wasn’t studying Japanese or teaching English, she focused on refining her brand’s concept. “I began to research how my idea could become a physical reality, and it was whilst wandering through flea markets in Tokyo that I realized how many vintage kimonos with gorgeous prints were going to waste."

Kimonos are generally made from silk, cotton and linen. Leanne began to envision a line of one-of-a-kind “slow” fashions, which would give vintage Japanese garments a second life in modern, Western styles. 

Next she needed to open a dialogue with other designers and distributors to find out what they thought of her work. Networking played an important role, but in Tokyo, networking means more than just attending fashion-related events.

伝統的な着物を現代に蘇らせる

A learning experience

Leanne found her first opportunity to put on a show when she was introduced to the organizers of AfterParty Tokyo through mutual friends. Another opportunity for a show came from a contact she made through pro-bono work as a PR and advertising consultant for Tokyo English Life Line. 

For her third show, she needed no better excuse than her own 25^th birthday in April 2010, which gave her a chance to invite all her contacts to one showcase.

Networking and socializing in Tokyo had paid off: with more than 250 attendees, "A Learning Experience" was her largest show to date. It was a mile-marker for her as a designer and recognition that “from everything I have done, there are always lessons to be learned.” 

Taking into consideration the input she received at the three shows, Leanne will launch Tokyo Kaleidoscope’s e-boutique later this month. Instead of offering four seasonal collections, Leanne’s goal for the near future is to use the boutique to showcase six “Capsule Collections” of 40 or 50 garments a year.

Her designs have found an enthusiastic audience in Australia and were featured on the blog of French fashion photographer Sophie Arancio.

When she gets the chance, Leanne still occasionally raids her mother’s craft room. “Back then she always scolded me when she discovered what I'd taken. Now when I do it she doesn't mind so much.”

Jody Godoy is a freelance writer in Tokyo specializing in travel, culture, arts and entertainment.

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