Tokyo's fashion week is set to run next month from Oct. 14 through Oct. 20, though be advised that those dates are for the official action in Shibuya Hikarie and Omotesando Hills. Brands and events too cool for the polished runways are opting for additional dates in other environs of the city.
The official week has also been renamed, thanks to a new titular sponsor. Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has taken over from key market competitor Amazon, which sponsored fashion week from October 2016 to March 2019. The change has been mostly well-received by Japanese parties, since Amazon and its predecessors, Mercedes-Benz, were sometimes seen as inappropriately foreign forces helming one of Japanese fashion's most prestigious events.
It also helps that Rakuten, unlike Mercedes-Benz and Amazon, hasn't sponsored other fashion weeks across the globe. Grouping Tokyo's event under the same sponsor of other fashion weeks has had the effect of putting it at the same level of clout as smaller events — and while Tokyo would be pleased to be seen on a par to New York, London, Milan or Paris, there is a reluctance to stand shoulder to shoulder with other cities, no matter the level of local talent.