The combined weight of economic woes and the eventual uptake of technology as a means of interacting with customers and selling products have led to seismic shifts in the fashion world.
This season, internationally, saw the introduction of virtual invitations (with virtual seat numbers) to watch the Gucci show live from Milan; the opportunity to buy Burberry Prorsum products directly from the live-stream catwalk collection; and the full realization of social media by savvier brands such as Marc Jacobs and Hermes.
In Tokyo, the changes were less noticeable and sophisticated but important nonetheless. Some domestic menswear brands produced cinematic installations, or they downsized (due to finance or change of direction) to intimate showroom exhibitions — or they left the country entirely to plow new furrows or went under completely. One positive to come from this restructuring, however, is that it has allowed fresh blood to stake claims in the protean fashion landscape.