Japan Fashion Week made it to its 10th birthday in Tokyo Midtown just recently with a lineup stronger than ever — though its growth from here on may be stunted due to a looming budget crisis and failure to ride on the rolling wave of Asian consumption.
Featuring 55 shows and presentations during the March 23-26 fall/winter season schedule, JFW welcomed back with open arms such big-name brands as Keita Maruyama Paris and Miharayasuhiro — and, for the first time, embraced menswear darlings Factotum and Yoshio Kubo.
From the first model's runway strut to the designer's final bow, labels only get about 10 minutes to implant a lasting impression on press and buyers that will hopefully translate to sales — sales that are the difference between life and death in this waning economy.