Japanese fashion: The wrap-up 

As Style Blog sadly wrapped up an amazing 15 days spent in Nihon (aka Japan) and headed home via a train trip and two flights (with a short "stopover" in Christchurch of all places!) we started to ponder about all things Japanese.

Whenever the words "Japanese fashion" are mentioned, certain things spring to mind.

The first would have to be how important and influential Japanese fashion was on the rest of the fashion world in the early 1980s, when Japanese avant-garde designers such as Comme Des Garcons' Rei Kawakubo and Yoiji Yamamoto stunned the world with their new, radical silhouettes.

These two designers turned fashion on its head by showing the antithesis of what was previously thought of as high fashion.

Instead of producing clothing that was highly decorative, colourful, pretty and immaculately finished, they produced totally non-conformist collections with clothes that were purposely ripped or torn, unhemmed, with threads dangling off the garments, raw seams on show, non- decorative pieces often in plain, monochromatic colour palettes.

They were clothes that even hobos down at the local train station could be wearing (sans hefty designer price tag, mind!) Think Mugato in Zoolander with his "Derelict" collection based on homeless people's "chic"!

Clothing now had a punk aesthetic, and challenged the fashion world, inspiring people to think about their clothes and not be taken in by preconceived ideas about fashion that everyone had taken for granted until then.

A feeling of Japanese traditional dress also influenced these designers, with the layering effect taken from kimonos and yukatas (light cotton summer-time kimonos). Natural hemps, cottons and silks were mixed in with man-made rayons and synthetics to create a modern look.

A unisex look of androgyny was favoured as the clothing became quite conceptual and sexless, meant for anyone regardless of age or sex. Interesting cuts and unexpected design lines set Japanese fashions apart from the rest of the world.

Japanese designers really influenced so many of their contemporaries around that time - from Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano to the Belgium designers, Ann Demeulemeester, AF Vandevorst, Dirk Bikkembergs and, of course, Martin Margiela.

Another such pioneer of Japanese fashion was Issey Miyake, who made his debut on the world fashion scene in New York at the start of the '70s.

Miyake's clothing designs were predominantly based on the idea of a flat garment (such as a kimono) creating a space or "ma" between one's body and the garment and playing with that idea so that it becomes its own, unique, individual form.

Like origami which is all about folding paper to create new forms and shapes, Miyake also innovatively played around with fabrics and fibres, pleating fabrics first, then creating clothing out of this based around the human body.

Wearing clothing had become an art statement.

Yoiji Yamamoto went on to mix European tailoring with Japanese sensibility and continues to successfully fuse these two ideas together.

Now the biggest names in Japanese fashion are labels such as Undercover, with their controversial, non-conformist approach on fashion, or on the sweeter side of things, Tsumori Chisato's label, which has a more naive, quirky, and "kawaii" look going for it.

The other thing you'd think about when Japanese fashion is mentioned is Japanese street fashion.

These "Harajuku girls" were immortalised by Gwen Stefani, as well as the "Fruits" or "Fresh Fruits" books, a series of snapshots of crazy Japanese street fashions that have taken the world by storm.

Sure, on any given day if you choose to saunter down Takeshita Dori in Harajuku or hang around the "109" ("Ichi-maru-kyuu") department store in Shibuya, Tokyo, you will see so many girls living and breathing these completely mad fashions.

However, the majority of young Japanese are just really damnably cool and super stylish. They have a knack of being able to just "get it". They are able to throw some interesting patterns and looks together, combos that really shouldn't work at all and somehow always does! It's a natural coolness so many of them seem to intuitively have.

Honestly, just go there and you will know what we mean. Somehow the young, cool Japanese have the ability to make many visitors to their country look ridiculously uncool in comparison!

Here are some hot trends currently riding high in Japan:

Hats

From fedoras, berets, and cheeky caps, the Japanese are wild for them right now.

Gingham/Checks/Plaids/Tartans

Seen in the form of overshirts (worn over tees) shirtdresses, playsuits, shorts and pants, they were on everyone, men and women.

Denim

A perennial staple: From faded jeans to darker hues, also denim hotpants, skinny jeans with rolled up hems 3/4 length style, baggy denim overshirts and shrunken denim jackets worn over chintzy floral dresses.

Soft grey basics

Simple grey tees and hooded, zipped-up sweatshirts to help dress down a look, grey skinny jeans, oversized grey knitted cardies, waistcoats, softly tailored loose pants and checked grey pants with rolled up hems.

Jackets

Black or grey longer line, man-style tuxedo blazers worn over everything from dresses and skirts to tees teamed with leggings or hotpants or skinny denim.

Boots

From ugg boots to thigh-high boots in soft, brown suedes, to black leather, also gumboots and flat riding boots and cowboy boots. Also, rock'n'roll style sky-high ankle boots with buckle details are the boots to be seen in.

Face masks

Autumn looks are probably so far from a good Kiwi lass's mind right now, but next year as autumn rolls around, why not try and steal some looks from a very cool, super "kawaii" (cute) or "sugoii" (fab) Japanese girl's wardrobe? You may be surprised!

Style Blog says a big "sayonara" for now from Japan. But stay tuned for what's hot for summer coming up in New Zealand!