Aside from anime and technology, Japanese fashion houses are slowly taking over the industry with its peculiar aesthetics.
Fashion trends are often attributed to Western fashion houses. Chanel with bags, Dior with jackets and skirts, and Louis Vuitton with ready-to-wear—these houses are often referenced and sought out by those who invest in fashion. Some may even say that these brands dictate trends. They are considered taste-makers of the industry.
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While Western brands have made undeniable contributions to fashion, Japanese brands are rising. From the Land of the Rising Sun, these brands are on the rise and are slowly taking over mainstream fashion trends. While Western fashion houses create mainstream trends, Japanese brands influence a niche market worth discovering.
Yohji Yamamoto
Known for his diffusion line Y3, Yohji Yamamoto’s namesake brand proves his legacy is worth following. With the brand’s signature masterful manipulation of textiles combined with an oversized Japanese-inspired silhouette, the brand influences both street and high-end fashion. Timeless but edgy, Yohji Yamamoto pushes Japanese tailoring to a new level.
Issey Miyake
A brand that values fabric manipulation techniques and movement, Issey Miyake’s eponymous brand creates comfortable yet stylish designs. Known for designing wearable art, the late designer’s brand is considered a household name in Japanese fashion. The brand’s diffusion lines, Pleats Please and Bao Bao, gained considerable traction and following.
Comme Des Garçons
Led by the legendary Rei Kawakubo, Comme Des Garçons is one of the titans of Japanese fashion. Avant-garde and unconventional, the brand’s distinct artistic approach to design and tailoring separates its aesthetic from the others. The brand has gained mainstream recognition with its different collaborations, but it is the designs by Kawakubo herself that put the brand on the map.
Junya Watanabe
An apprentice of Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe’s namesake brand holds its own forth in the Japanese fashion industry. The brand has an unprecedented understanding of design, textiles, and function. The brand’s aesthetic is for those who want to invest in Comme Des Garçons but is too afraid to go beyond functional aesthetics.
Banner photo via Instagram @isseymiyakeofficial.
