JFW 2010 forecast

Japan Fashion Week 2010 will be hitting the runways on Mar 23, and with it comes speculation on which labels will continue their success streak, and which ones will take their game up a notch. With 44 brands sending their stuff down catwalk, there will be a whole lot of labels vying for attention of editors, buyers and Tokyo’s fashionistas. For those who aren’t privy to fashion’s every whim but still want to know what to watch, here are a few of Time Out Tokyo’s picks for some well-known favourites and others to keep your eye on.

DRESSCAMP

The highly recognised Tokyo brand, with Macedonian-Brit fashion darling Marjan Pejoski weighing in on the design team, is expected to continue the strong streak of the past couple of seasons. It’s one of the biggest and most anticipated shows of the week. SS 10 was a fantasy of glam and proportion with attempting a balance of levity and solidity that didn’t quite resonate completely. Perhaps we’ll see the extra edge that went missing between AW 09 and last season.

Fur Fur

Aya Furuhashi’s SS 10 collection for brand fur fur resembled something of the dressing-up-box of a tough gang of little girls gone awry. The layers were heavy, and sometimes complicated. Perhaps with a bit more focus, this season might be the one to show her potential. This time around could be hit or miss, but definitely one to watch.

mintdesigns

With designers Hokuto Katsui and Yao Nagi both holding professorships at Osaka Seikei University, one might think that Mint Designs’ look skews to the cerebral. In fact, it’s not quite so obvious; look for something thought provoking packaged in a seemingly cute way, with the edge of technology or precision. SS 10 saw them going in the direction of light yet structured dresses with an almost graphically confected feel. How this will move forward is anyone’s guess, but the duo has been consistent with their approach so far.

FACTOTUM

Menswear label Factotum came up with a slick but cheeky set of looks for SS 10, combining strong lines balanced with none other than – flounces. Bold and quirky? Yes. However, the looks were anchored in the structure and took the edge off the sometimes loud accent colours. Though it could have been developed a step further, it left us with a sense of expectation for what’s in store.

THEATRE PRODUCTS

Design team Akira Takeuchi and Tayuka Nakanishi incorporate performance, stage-play and other installation-like aspects into their clothing. Having both done costumes for the stage, their SS 10 collection featured whimsical quasi-Edwardian shapes with a bittersweet laced aftertaste. This season has us wondering how that will evolve for AW 10.

The Dress & Co. HIDEAKI SAKAGUCHI

With some wearable looks for SS 10, Hideaki Sakaguchi kept things light and frothy. Jackets were paired with dresses and styled with scarves in a modern, streetwear (but not too streetwear) sort of way. Though some may have seen it as predictable, it is wearable, and this is something that counts for a lot.