If you are familiar with the world of streetwear, then you know that Tokyo’s streetwear scene is big business. For the last three decades Japan has paved the way for new, innovative, and sometimes even controversial streetwear designers to emerge with a fresh spin on fashion. Each year streetwear’s popularity and influence increases across the globe with some of the biggest all-time brands in streetwear getting their start in none other than Tokyo.
The Japanese street fashion culture has led to produce some of the most jaw dropping and sought after fashion brands in the world today.
While most of these brands disrupted the fashion world, essentially turning it on its head at first, they have now grown to be worldwide phenomenon’s pursued by fashion enthusiasts and collectors everywhere.
From grungy dark garb to sharp chic aesthetics, the Japanese fashion industry has changed the game forever. As we dive into the world of Japanese fashion, it’s important for us to first quickly zoom in to the Harajuku district in Tokyo –the mecca of streetwear fashion.
In the Harajuku district, anything goes. From funky, bright patterns, outlandish outfits, trendy forward streetwear, and so much more, Harajuku attracts a world wide crowd for its innovation and creativity in the fashion industry.
But what’s more is Harajuku in particular is the birthing place and the home to many successful fashion brands including NEIGHBORHOOD, Wacko Maria, COMME des GARÇONS, and even A Bathing Ape. It’s brands like these that have helpedform and shape the Harajuku district and even the overall Tokyo streetwear scene.
In fact, most of these brands developed a lot of criticism and controversy in the fashion industry when they were first introduced. Going against the norm is no easy task, but with designers like Rei Kawakubo of COMME des GARÇONS or Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER breaking past these barriers down, we can now enjoy a fresh spin on fashion as a unique form of self expression like never before. It’s no secret that these top Japanese fashion brands have played a huge role in deconstructing fashion to reimagine everyday apparel.
With design influences pulled from local garb, European runways, and Western cultures, Tokyo tends to take these inspirations and illuminate their own spin on it for a distinctive and unique style. Japanese streetwear has and always will push the limits of what’s possible for fashion to create modern, new, and contemporary pieces for every type of person.