"Fast fashion" undoubtedly became the buzzword of 2009 as Japan's deflation-hit economy drove consumers away from luxury brands and toward cheap but high-quality apparel.
But don't expect cheap and chic brands to disappear in 2010, even if the nation manages to start pulling out of its bruising recession.
Many fashion experts say the rise of "recession brands" reflects a longer-term shift in fashion preferences as they gradually adapt to the new and growing reality that their country is no longer an economic powerhouse.