Designers unveil new looks to fall for

By Chris Cook

Apr 14, 2002

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, memories of summer's trial-by-heat again begin to send shivers down the collective spine.

In the topsy-turvy world of fashion, though, it's time for the autumn/winter collections already. For the last two weeks, Tokyo's catwalks, galleries and chic cafes have been host to the finest of Japan's established and up-and-coming designers, showcasing their latest creations aimed at next time the mercury falls.

Beyond these shores, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai may be all the rage; an unlikely style icon recently labeled "the most chic man in the world" by Gucci's Tom Ford. Though his trademark lambskin hats and dashing chapan (Uzbek capes) have been the talk of the world's fashion commentators, here -- except for some coats at Yuki Torii -- "Karzai couture" appears to have barely registered on the rag trade's radar.

Instead, this time around, many domestic designers have simply turned the clock back . . . to resurrect their all-time fave color, black. This fashion staple was coupled with a trend -- if that word can be applied to such an eclectic fortnight -- toward fur, asymmetrical hemlines, fringing and tartans.

Fur -- both real and faux -- was certainly a common thread in the shows of Yuki Torii, Miss Ashida (Tae Ashida), Kyoko Higa, Yukiko Hanai and M.Y.K. Noriko (Noriko Fukushima).

Tae Ashida also used soft kid and shirred (gathered) mink, while at Yukiko Hanai, fox and oh-so-soft chinchilla got the vote as trimmings. Rabbit was on the bill at Yuki Torii, who also had red-dyed pony skin and ultra-soft alpine chamois with the leather worn outward and the dyed fur inside. As if that wasn't enough zoology for one show, she threw in soft white kid, raccoon and fox as well.

At Primopalazzo Novespazio, Noboru Yamafuji sent out jackets and tops in Tibetan lambswool, kid and mouton (sheep's wool), while Noriko Fukushima used squirrel, more rabbit and blue fox.

With some 50 designers showing under the auspices of the Council of Fashion Designers, Tokyo, the keyword was undoubtedly "variety," as each designer sought to make their mark on Japanese fashion history. And while 2002 is not a vintage to compare with those of the early or mid-'80s -- when names like Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo became known worldwide -- there was still a lot from the younger generation of designers to feel optimistic about. Among their creations, and those of Japan's established names, the following are some of the highlights of what was sent out on the runways this time around -- with your autumn/winter style (and late-summer spending) in mind.

Future Eyes

In this, their debut collection, Future Eyes designers Kenji Ando and Kazan Yamamoto made great play of silhouettes and sent hemlines every which way, while several pieces were "deconstructed" -- giving that unfinished look that is popular here.

But, with a remarkable display of tunnel vision focused on Japanese fashion's heyday in the '80s, black was virtually the only color they used, just at it was the color then.

Miss Ashida

Tae Ashida's Miss Ashida label has long been near the top of the style pyramid, and with this collection she gets high marks for doing what she's good at -- creating elegant, easy-to-wear pieces. Miss Ashida was undoubtedly one of the best shows this spring -- alongside M.Y.K. Noriko, Primopalazzo Novespazio, Yuki Torii and Yukiko Hanai.

Ashida gets additional brownie points for her accessories, notably her itsy-bitsy black leather "waistcoats." More fantasy than substance, they curved around the neck and under the arms in Ashida's view of minimal fashion.

"Smart" is the Miss Ashida watchword, and you'll see nothing like her clothes anywhere else.

Kyoko Higa

Despite Japan's economic woes, some designers -- Kyoko Higa for one -- are still decidedly upbeat.

"My clothes are now selling in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and in New York and Canada, but the biggest volume of overseas sales is in Miami," Higa said last week. "One of my former assistants at Rose Is a Rose [her debut brand from the '80s] opened a boutique there, and because of that shop I now have many Hispanic customers.

"Also, my clothes are selling in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, where they fill the boutique of a woman who has been one of my fans since the Rose Is a Rose days!"

So, while most Japanese designers set their sights on the Paris collections, Higa is headed the opposite way. At the end of this month, she will present her second fashion show in Florida -- at a private residence in Miami.

"Last year I took my collection there and showed it in a big garden full of huge plants and colorful flowers. This time I'm presenting it at another client's home, but beside the swimming pool."

What they'll see in the Sunshine State, and what we saw here, are the dramatic shapes Higa is into these days, including asymmetrical skirts, colorful ribbon-latticework jackets and dyed-rabbit tops, striped or trimmed in a rainbow of hues.

Yukiko Hanai

In one of the sexiest shows of this season, Yukiko Hanai continued her fantasy with ruffles and applique flowers. It was, however, the cream crocheted skirts, trousers and tops, body-hugging black chiffon numbers and elegant Romanesque leather-and-chiffon ensembles that really stole the show.

However, her fringed brown suede trousers paired with a brown tweed jacket with a short fringe, and topped off with a fur stole, was also tasteful -- but a turn-on, too.

M.Y.K. Noriko

At Noriko Fukushima's M.Y.K Noriko show, warm cashmere pinstripe shawls were thrown casually over the shoulders, and a bottle-green trouser suit was paired with an emerald-green polo sweater. Fukushima's supple lambskin straight-legged trousers were overprinted with "crocodile," and one of the few male models on the runways this time came out sporting wide, see-through, black silk trousers paired with a horizontal-striped black-and-ivory jacket.

Chinami Kamishima

While most of the designers showing these last two weeks are Tokyo-based, Chinami Kamishima hails from Sapporo, and so no doubt knows a thing or two about cold weather: hence the fluffy down-covered coats and jackets, the padded shiny dresses and fur-trimmed blousons.

Several pieces had the unfinished look that's in these days in Japan, with raw hemlines and seams. One black jacket even had long white threads hanging haphazardly from around the waist.

Yuki Torii

Bucking the trend here, but in tune with the overseas vogue, Yuki Torii's show kicked off with reversible dark-gray long "Karzai" coats, lined with a floral-patterned fabric.

Always one of the liveliest shows in town, Torii's also featured dyed blue-and-brown, pleated tartan skirts that looked more like kilts, with no two areas of each one the same color due to the murazome dyeing method that leaves the fabric colored in patches of varying densities.

Looking sure to keep you warm (and stylish) next winter whichever way the wind blows were her shiny black sealskin-effect full-length coats, loosely tied with a huge red ribbon on the front. Staying shiny, she'd also come up with a mirror-finish jacket, made from acetate and rayon and fastened at the side with a small, neatly tied black bow. That was paired with a two-layer, crushed silver-gray dress in the same fabric.

Primopalazzo Novespazio

Noboru Yamafuji, for Primopalazzo Novespazio, a division of Sanei International that includes New York-based designer Vivienne Tam, paired geometric-patterned, brown-and-cream cashmere tops with slim, nut-brown suede trousers. Following the fur trend, Yamafuji used lots of Mongolian lamb to trim collars and cuffs, while his sheared, pale golden-brown mouton coats and jackets looked just the ticket for keeping warm.

As well, his collection comprised several couturelike pieces, and some of the last to be shown were small, black, sleeveless chiffon tops liberally covered with tiny circular "sequins" of golden leather that were hand-stitched on just minutes before the show.

However, the real highlight of the show was Yamafuji's evening wear -- some of the best shown on any of the runways this time -- which majored on full-length dresses with bustier tops demurely laced up, corsetlike, in back.

Hisui

Hiroko Ito, the one-woman dynamo who is Hisui, continues her experimentation with shapes, with draping assuming particular importance this time. Her collection featured bias-striped shirts, several cowl-necked tops and gathered skirts and dresses. In what was an exuberant display, floral-print skirts flowed over ankle-length navy trousers which Ito tied at the bottoms, and an oversized black cardigan was slung loosely over a black scoop-necked top.

With so many designers of different standing here in Tokyo, and with each one competing in a different niche, there has been something for everyone in these collections, be it haute couture, pre^t-a-porter or simple, street-friendly casual styles.

The days are past when Japan was renowned for fashion legends such as Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori or Yohji Yamamoto -- to name a few of the illustrious createurs who have put this country, and Tokyo in particular, on the world fashion map.

However, another generation is moving up, and while none are clones of yesteryear's leaders, the fact their talent is being recognized means that -- for the time being at least -- the "Made in Japan" label will still draw respect wherever it is sold.