The global slump's impact on the fashion world was on everyone's lips during Japan Fashion Week, as it has been around the world since last fall.
Although Japanese designers have long defied industry logic with their avant-garde designs and wacky presentations, the great unknown is whether they will be able to mask the economic woes with a costume and a bow.
After every designer's show, surrounded by Japanese and foreign reporters, the creator was carefully asked: "How is the recession affecting you?"