CONTEMPORARY+FASHION+TRENDS+-+Japan






 * **Rei Kawakubo** : Kawakubo is a Japanese designer and also well known as the founder of one of the most popular young fashion labels, Comme des Garçon. Rather than just focusing on clothes and accessories like the majority of other designers, Kawakubo is also known to be heavily involved in various aspects of her business for instance, in graphic design, advertising and even shop interior. This all comes from her belief that advertising, shop design, clothing design - basically, all elements of design - are all weaved together and linked thus, every part of her business is as important as being a designer.


 * **Yohji Yamamoto** : Yohji Yamamoto is an internationally known Japanese fashion designer especially in Tokyo and Paris. Yamamoto became an influential designer after making his debut in Paris in 1981. He has two main successful clothing lines, Yohji Yamamoto and Y's. Also, his clothes may seem very familiar to those interested in fashion through his collaborations with other major fashion brands including Adidas, Hermès, Mandarina Duck and also with musical and visual artists such as Elton John, Takeshi Kitano, Pina Bausch, Placebo etc.



There is a popular fashion trend in Japan that is based on an interesting subculture - cosplay which is abbreviated from costume play. Many teenagers and young adults enjoy dressing up like their favorite manga or anime characters. But, cosplay isn't only about dressing in costume like a lot of people do on Halloween. It is considered performance art where the "performers" not only dress like their characters but become their characters using similar accessories, speaking in the same accent and behaving the same. A popular cosplay trend among girls and women is the Lolita fashion where girls and women dress in Victorian costume. There isn't just one type of "Lolita" however, there is the gothic Lolita, the "sweet" Lolita who wears pink, lacy, baby-like clothes, the punk Lolita and the sailor Lolita. The trend is said to be originated from the 1970s and was worn by underground bands but now it is so popular that Lolita clothes are sold in ordinary department stores. Cosplay is now popular in other parts of East Asia like Korea (there are Cosplay conventions held in Seoul every month) and also in the West.