Japan Fashion Week preview

Running October 19-24, Japan Fashion Week (JFW) is positioned to be the 'main event' for local designers. But since most Japanese fashion heavyweights like Comme des Garçons, Undercover and Yohji Yamamoto show in Paris, and cooler indie brands like N.Hoolywood and John Lawrence Sullivan have their collections off-schedule, most of the brands at JFW are relatively unknown.

Unknown or obscure, however, does not mean ignorable. That's why we've compiled this simple guide to the important Japanese brands showing at JFW. Study up now, and you may be on the trail of tomorrow's fashion superstars.

Dress-up brands

Fabulous formal brands for adults.

DRESS33

The gist: Previously of Dress Camp, designer Toshikazu Iwaya conducts salaciously pretentious cacophonies of couture and costume overdone to the nth degree.

Current collection in stores: Elizabethian flamenco and a few Björk-ready bird dresses.

Shopping: Dress33 Aoyama, Minami-Aoyama 5-5-4, Minato-ku, tel. 03 5464 3330, www.dress33.com (mens/womens)

AGURI SAGIMORI

The gist: The 24-year-old ingénue does highly detailed clothes for Goth tomboys.

Current collection in stores: A book-themed collection with one jacket back folded open like pages revealing a bony, well-worn spine. Get it?

Shopping: Isetan Shinjuku 4F, Shinjuku 3-14-1, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 3352 1111, www.vantan.com/agurisagimori (womens)  

motonari ono

The gist: 'Manga-inspired' clothes that are a cross between Napoleonic cavalry uniforms and sexy librarian.

Current collection in stores: Mustard-yellow silks, mademoiselle blousons, and something about 'a young girl blossoming into womanhood.' Ahem.

Shopping: Motonari Ono Takashimaya, Sendagaya 5-24-2, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 5361 1111, www.motonari-ono.com (womens)

matohu

The gist: Ancient dress-making techniques revived for collection of column robes. Received Mainichi’s New Designer of the Year Award for 2009.   

Current collection in stores: Colorful kabukimono rogue warriors was the theme, yet collection was awash in soot black. Actually, colors lined the insides of the pieces.

Shopping: Takashimaya 8F, Sendagaya 5-24-2, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 5361 1111, www.matohu.com (mens/womens)

Avant-Garde

So fashion forward it's about to topple over.

SOMARTA

The gist: Seamless bodysuits and other high-tech fabrics on a parade of invading space queens. 

Current collection in stores: Leather bodices and outerwear inspired by bad-ass armor-wearing women of revolutions past.

Shopping: RESTIR Midtown, Akasaka 9-7-4, Minato-ku, tel. 03 5413 3708, www.somarta.jp (womens)

writtenafterwards

The gist: Art project masquerading as highly experimental clothing. Or the other way around.

Current collection in stores: An art-school project gone wrong. Lots and lots of packing tape. Paging the janitor for cleanup. 

Shopping: Isetan Shinjuku 2F, Shinjuku 3-14-1, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 3352 1111, www.writtenafterwards.com (womens)

mint designs

The gist: Mischievous and edgy casual wear based in the cutesy-charming patterns.

Current collection in stores: The introduction of a high-tech cold mask sculpted to look like a monkey’s face. Good thing: we hear the flu is trendy now.
 
Shopping: Mint Designs Garage, B1 Parco, Udagawa-cho 1-15-1, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 3464 7833, www.mint-designs.com (mens/womens)

HISUI

The gist: Thematic and melodramatic collections like skeletons and space androids.

Current collection in stores: Curly puffs, black horsehair and braids accented here, there and everywhere for the 'hair-y' animal theme. Invest in a good brush. 

Shopping: mican H.P France Laforet, Jingumae 1-11-6, Shibuya-ku tel. 03 3404 3288, www.00s-s.com (womens)

Chic

Sexy and cool brands you may just spot at night.

G.V.G.V.

The gist: In-your-face frocks blending rock and punk elements and an overall sexy vibe.

Current collection in stores: Metal death rock of Scandinavia played up with wild furs, rip-em-if-you-breathe leather pants and killer heels.

Shopping: Isetan Shinjuku 4F, Shinjuku 3-14-1, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 3352 1111, www.k3coltd.co.jp (womens)

suzuki takayuki


The gist: Flights of deconstructed fantasy in delicate creams and blacks.

Current collection in stores: Barely-there camisole dresses of lace strung up like broken marionettes.
 
Shopping: Suzuki Takayuki Placed, 2F Parco1, Udagawa-cho 15-1, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 6416 9933, suzukitakayuki.com (womens)

GalaabenD

The gist: Edgy and dark motifs with a streak of foppish elegance. Pretty cool.

Current collection in stores: Doc Marten boots, leather rider’s jacket, leggings, and a ruffle skirt. On a man, of course. Hey, if it works for Marc Jacobs …

Shopping: GalaabenD, Jingumae 4-26-26, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 5771 1350, www.galaabend.jp (mens/womens)

Mikio Sakabe

The gist: Spacey-retro clothes for sexy OL-androids.

Current collection in stores: Using Japanese pop idols of yore for inspiration, clothes were translated to super-exaggerated quilted jackets and lampshade skirts. 

Shopping: CONCENTO PARIS H.P.FRANCE Roppongi Hills, Roppongi 6-10-3, Minato-ku, tel. 03 5410 8833, www.mikiosakabe.com (womens)

ato

The gist: Baking neo-classic and active wear pieces together for houndstooth and lycra casseroles. 

Current collection in stores: French Revolution military motifs, futuristic metallic accessories and sleek hightop sneakers.
 
Shopping: Ato, Minami-Aoyama 3-18-9, Minato-ku, tel : 03 5474 1748, www.ato.jp (mens/womens)

Street casual

From the streets to the runway to the streets.

beautiful people

The gist: “Matching clothing for children and adults.” Or, how to successfully make a child your shrunken doppelgänger.
 
Current collection in stores: Suede, sherpa, florals and other casual spot-on Americana pieces for Fall.

Shopping: A STARTER HOUSE for beautiful people, Laforet, Jingumae 1-11-6, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03-3560-7457, www.beautiful-people.jp (mens/womens)

IZREEL

The gist: The usual Tokyo hipster: oddly proportioned, preppy, punky, sporty, colorful streetwear fluff.

Current collection in stores: Going incognito with a nearly all-black collection.

Shopping: Parco1 6F, Udagawa-cho 15-1, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 3464 5111, www.izreel.jp (mens)

Theatre Products

The gist: Shows that emphasize the presentation (live photoshoots, a play, etc.) as much as the avant-savant design.

Current collection in stores: Taking a nostalgic trip to the tacky '70s. Next up: The bowels of the '80s? Wait, they did that already…

Shopping: Theatre Products Omotesando, Jingumae 4-26-24, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 6438 1757, www.theatreproducts.co.jp (mens/womens)

TROVE

The gist: Soft and worn-out casual wear, with an antique or vintage touch. Textbook case of so-called 'homeless chic.'

Current collection in stores: As homeless as always -- sweaters, lots of layers and salmon pink.

Shopping: Trove, Jinnan 1-9-10, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 3476 0787, www.trove.co.jp (mens)

Gut's Dynamite Cabarets

The gist: A barrage of antics and colorful punk-wear for the Shinjuku 2-chome set.

Current collection in stores: Disappointingly toned down. And yet, Hello Kitty was still there in the front row.

Shopping: KAIJYU BLUE Marui, Shinjuku 3-1-20, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 6380 6521, www.g-d-cabarets.jp (mens/womens)