Style & Design | ON: FASHION Jan 9, 2021
Flashbacks and fantasy kick off Japan’s 2021 fashion scene
As department stores try to make up for a dismal 2020, recently released capsule collections turn to feel-good, nostalgic escapism.
Samuel Thomas
Samuel Thomas is a fashion writer and lecturer at Bunka Gakuen University. He regularly contributes to The Japan Times, among other publications, and has his own site TokyoTelephone.com. He is currently pursuing his research in fashion at the University of Tokyo.
For Samuel Thomas's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Dec 13, 2020
Made-to-order luxury for the 2020 holiday season
This season’s shopping trends? Artisanal gift wrapping and glamorous jewelry for you and your mask.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Nov 15, 2020
Japanese fashion tackles the issues of the moment
From practical masks and saving sento culture to provocative commentary on gender, brands and designers find their moment.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Oct 11, 2020
Tokyo’s fashion weeks kick off live (and with precautions)
It’s business as usual, save for sparse seating and masks. But the streaming options mean this is the most accessible these events have ever been.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Sep 13, 2020
As the industry goes online, fashion trends go retro
Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo is still on schedule; Animal Crossing is haute couture; and Wacko Maria celebrates 15 years.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Aug 9, 2020
The limitless energy of Japanese fashion
Legendary designer Kansai Yamamoto’s legacy lives on, and the fashion world starts to adapt to consumer needs in Japan’s new normal.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Jul 12, 2020
The everyday mask gets more designer upgrades
Japan’s department stores see a surprising sales recovery in June and masks continue to move high-end.
Style & Design | ON: FASHION Jun 14, 2020
Fashion on pause looks for a path forward
Fashion in Japan is tentatively back in business. What to expect? Socially distanced shopping and stylish mask-wearing.
Style & Design Mar 30, 2020
Fashion week is compelled to go online
Japan's fashion industry was hit hard by the March cancellation of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, saved only by livestreaming and online content as a way to keep fans informed.
Style & Design Feb 24, 2020
Behind the mask: The show must go on
As the impact of COVID-19 leads to the postponement or cancelation of various fashion events, the industry faces a quandary — it is unseemly to focus on the relatively trivial business of style at a time of great concern?