A New Wave of "Fashion" Capturing the Spirit of Tokyo

When you hear "Tokyo fashion," what image comes to mind? Perhaps the rapidly changing trends centered on street style, the creations of young designers keenly reflecting global trends, fast fashion that now dominates the global market, or the craft-driven modes underpinned by delicate handwork. A diverse array of facets, linked to colorful fashion imagery, emerges.

Beyond being mere design, clothing has functioned as functional adornment to protect against the elements, and as an expression of the wearer's social status and identity, varying across places and eras. In contemporary times, this expression extends beyond clothing itself, continuously stimulating new creations through its links with art, design, music, and film.


The designers participating in this exhibition are ten creators whose sensitive works capture the current pulse of Tokyo fashion, drawing significant attention.

"Anrealage" presented a visual display questioning the relationship between the body and clothing, dissolving the conventional scale of garments. Naoto Hirooka's "h,NAOTO" reconstructed avant-garde fashion like punk and gothic styles, utilizing the gallery's high ceilings. "Keisuke Kanda" showcased works that seemed to synchronize with the image of Akihabara-esque girls, presenting fashion as a communication tool through collaborations with photographer Masashi Asada and musician Etsuko Yakushimaru.

"matohu" developed a conceptual installation based on "intangible beauty," the theme of their collection. "Somarta," by Tamaki Hirokawa, known globally for its skin-hugging, functional fashion worn by Lady Gaga, exhibited pieces made from seamless knit. "mintdesigns," acclaimed for its gentle colors and motifs, expressed its world through a dynamic yet delicate installation of shredded paper fragments piled high.

Other notable participants included "minä perhonen," a representative of Japan's new generation, also popular for its beautiful textiles and products; "Sasquatchfabrix.," which offers avant-garde yet wearable clothing; "Theater Products," which presented a work integrating sound installation and visuals within a house designed by architect Akira Ito, featuring inverted interiors and exteriors; and "writtenafterwards," which focuses on the social aspects surrounding clothing and "fashion." The exhibition brought together an elite selection of Tokyo fashion.

Fashion and Architecture in Collaboration

The exhibition's spatial design also warrants attention. The layout was conceived by architect Ryuji Nakamura, whose work on the venue for last year's DESIGNTIDE TOKYO 2010 remains memorable. Beams are installed at eye level throughout the exhibition space, creating individual display areas while loosely connecting the overall venue. The unique placement of these beams, typically found near the ceiling, at eye level encourages visitors to engage actively with the artworks rather than passively viewing them. This approach also reflects a shared inclination among contemporary young architects towards exploring various relationships.

Regarding the spatial design, Ryuji Nakamura stated, "I created the space with an approach that lies between site-specific thinking and the white cube concept. I was interested in how designers, who normally create clothing, would approach the boundaries of a site."


While fashion exhibitions in galleries and museums are not uncommon, this space, which seems to embody both chaos and harmony, visualizes the network of Tokyo—a city highly saturated with information—vividly illuminating the current state of Tokyo fashion.

In Tokyo, fashion has often been closely linked with the concept of "consumption," which can be viewed both positively and negatively. Simultaneously, it has continuously generated down-to-earth, real clothing and critical, cutting-edge modes that resist this trend. Recently, designers who maintain a certain distance from trends and consumption, and who act with a social stance, have begun to emerge. They are artistic, real, and increasingly critical.

During the exhibition, talk events were also held where designers and researchers discussed the landscape of Tokyo fashion and contemporary issues, offering opportunities not just to see, but also to think.