Watching the Fashion Week Tokyo models pounding polished catwalks in the glitzy Hikarie building in shopping-central Shibuya, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Paris.
However, since Mercedes-Benz's debut as a major sponsor this time last year, now three seasons ago, designers uncomfortable with the rising costs associated with the new FWT venue — and the increasingly restrictive Western catwalk format — have found alternative locations courtesy of the trade-show roomsLINK. Most significant of these is the Shibuya Fashion Festival (SFF) held the day after the last show at Hikarie.
Taking over Miyashita Park in central Shibuya, an area intrinsically linked with Tokyo youth- and skating-culture, SFF was this time thrown open to the public for free. Attendees were able to enjoy the food, live entertainment and market stalls typical of any Japanese festival — but with fashion as the centerpiece.