Tokyo Fashion News

Marc Jacobs Dress & JaneMarple Bag in Shibuya

tokyo — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:50:51 +0000

We photographed this cute & stylish Japanese girl at the 6%DOKIDOKI x Popples event a few weeks ago in Shibuya. Her name is Marie and she’s an illustrator. Marie is wearing a jacket from The Gabriel Chelsea over a colorful Marc Jacobs dress, a furry muffler from Alice and the Pirates, yellow stockings, and a handbag from the brand JaneMarple. She said that her boots were “Sex Original”, which we think probably means Sex Pot Revenge, but we’re not 100% sure. Marie told us that her favorite fashion designer is Nozomi Ishiguro and that her favorite genre of music is Okinawan folk (cool choice).

Marie has her own website and she is also on MySpace. You can see samples of her illustrations at both of those links.

Click either photo to enlarge it.

Special thanks to 6%DOKIDOKI for allowing us to take these pictures at their event.

Girl in Russian Fur Hat & Lip Sunglasses in Harajuku

tokyo — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:18:23 +0000

This 19-year-old Japanese university student was photographed on the street Harajuku. She’s wearing a big Russian fur (or faux fur?) hat, red lip-shaped sunglasses, a dark blazer, a gray asymmetrical button up shirt/dress with a bow from Cotton Candy, leopard print leggings, red socks, and distressed black leather boots. Her purse features reptile print with brown leather accents. She said that her favorite shop is Cotton Candy in Harajuku and her favorite singer is Bjork.

Click any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Raf Simons Sneakers & Yohji Jacket in Harajuku

tokyo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:09:13 +0000

This Japanese 18-year-old Japanese guy – a student at Sugino Fashion College – was photographed on the street in Harajuku. His outfit consists of a black Yohji Yamamoto jacket over a denim jacket, baggy pants from Mugendo, and yellow Raf Simons Pocket Trainer sneakers. His accessories include glasses, a scarf, a chain necklace, two Plaring rings, and a Dior shoulder bag. He said that his favorite fashion brand is Raf Simons and that his favorite band is Shounan no Kaze.

Click either of the photos to enlarge them.

Martin Margiela Tabi Boots & Blue Hair in Harajuku

tokyo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:21:48 +0000

This cute and funky blue-haired 18-year-old Japanese girl named Mikki was photographed in Harajuku. You might remember, this is the second time we’ve run into Mikki on the streets of Tokyo. Today’s outfit consists almost completely of items that she picked up at vintage and resale shops as well as flea markets. She’s wearing a shiny black jacket that features cutout and mesh elements, a torn shirt over a colorful top of some sort, Tackla ice hockey pants with bold graphics, and her fantastic Martin Margiela tabi boots. Accessories include a vintage purse worn on her back, black material tied into a bow around her short blue hairstyle, and an iPhone.

Mikki said that her favorite fashion brands/designers include Nozomi Ishiguro, Martin Margiela and Alexander Wang. As far as music, she likes DJ Shadow.

Click any of the pictures to see them in high resolution.

John Lawrence Sullivan 2010 Autumn/Winter Collection

tokyo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:44:56 +0000

John Lawrence Sullivan (JLS) is the latest Tokyo based fashion brand to bid farewell to the capital. After N.Hoolywood’s recent decision to start showing in New York, JLS has also taken the plunge and opted for the glamorous new location of Paris.

Designed by former professional boxer Arashi Yanagawa, JLS, which was established in 2003 and debuted at the Tokyo Collections in 2007, has made a name for itself for sleek silhouettes and superb tailoring. Using high quality materials which create a successful mixture of elegant and masculine clothing, JLS – which has a trendy Nakameguro flagship – has attracted a lot of interest from buyers, fashion journalists and fans both in Japan and abroad.

Yanagawa has even branched out into womenswear – designing a collection for S/S10. He also recently collaborated with ten international artists in a series of t-shirt designs in a project named ‘The Sullivans’. The label, which is named after a late 19th century American boxer who was also known as the Boston Strong Boy, is very much a Tokyo fashion brand which targets hip young professionals who want sophisticated and well structured clothing which differs from its European luxury counterparts.

The collection for A/W 2010, held in a disused Shinkiba warehouse, was accomplished and perhaps one of Yanagawa’s best so far. A strong use of autumnal colors, double-breasted and one-button jackets and trench coats were paired with leather leggings, trousers cut just below the knee and finished off with some great pairs of creeper shoes. Classic and contemporary, elegant and masculine, Japanese and international JLS is a brand which loves to play in paradoxes and is certain to be a surefire hit with the European style crowd from next season.

John Lawrence Sullivan:

Address: 1F MS Building, 1-19-7 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03-5428-0068
Website: John Lawrence Sullivan Official Website

Text by Paul McInnes. Photos by Will Robb.

About the author:
Paul McInnes is a fashion and arts journalist based in Tokyo. He is the fashion editor (menswear) and contributing arts editor of The Japan Times. He is also the Tokyo editor of Sportswear International and contributes to publications such as High Fashion, Dazed Digital, JC Report and Japanese Streets. He has also been interviewed for TV including NHK’s Tokyo Fashion Express and lifestyle magazines such as Metropolis and Kaleidoscope magazine.

About the photographer:
As long as he is behind his camera Will is a happy man. He has photographed everything from the slums of Bangkok to the catwalks of Tokyo. He is a contract photographer for Lonely Planet, his images and photo essays have appeared in Time Out, The Japan Times, Sportswear International and a variety of other newspapers, magazines and guidebooks around the world and his photo essays from Iraq for The Griffith Review even earned him a mention in the Australian book review of the year in 2006. In addition to his media related work, Will also shoots events, portraits, weddings and the occasional CD cover. Whatever he’s working on, he always writes about his jobs and how he goes about them at Will Robb Photography.

N.Hoolywood 2010 Autumn/Winter Collection

tokyo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:18:35 +0000

Daisuke Obana, the designer behind Japanese label N.Hoolywood, isn’t your stereotypical otaku. He doesn’t collect figures or take pilgrimages to Akihabara – but he does, however, have an obsession with America.

With a lifelong fascination with the US and a passion for Americana, he left his job as a vintage American clothes buyer to establish himself as one of the most respected designers in Japan. He takes elements of American life or history and transforms them into clothing which ignores current trends and dares to be different from other mainstream high-end brands. Past collections have been inspired by hit indie-movie American Splendor, the Detroit car industry, the Amish community in Pennsylvania and city skyscrapers.

The N.Hoolywood flagship store, located behind Omotesando Hills, is always worth a visit. The store is called “Mister Hoolywood” which also happens to be Obana’s nickname. It looks like an old American ranch house from the outside, and inside is a quaint shop devoted to the N.Hoolywood collection, its formal Compile line and accessories.

When asked, in a recent interview, what his American customers think of his clothing Obana replied, “They usually love my collections. They know about their own culture but they really appreciate it more coming from someone from the outside. Americans enjoy my collections and are thankful – they discover who they are through the clothes.”

The latest show for Autumn/Winter 2010 was the brand’s farewell to Tokyo. Next season it will show as part of New York Fashion Week. This time the theme was the Vietnam War so unsurprisingly there were a lot of military uniforms. Some were actually more reminiscent of WW1, WW2 and present day army wear used in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the overall look and feel was taken from the Vietnam conflict. Obana never dilutes his theme. It’s all or nothing, and in this respect, it is close to the idea of cosplay – dressing up as Amish or soldiers etc…. In addition to military clothing there was some distressed bootleg jeans (a nod to the hippy movement), a denim jacket and plain white tees. It was a great collection and the huge army backpacks were also really cool.

So if you haven’t already – take a look at the photos, check out the website and visit the store. N.Hoolywood isn’t what you think. It’s essentially one man’s love affair with a country which is inexhaustible in its inspiration.

Mister Hollywood Store:

Address: 4-13-16 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: 03-5414-5071
Website: N. Hoolywood

Text by Paul McInnes. Photos by Will Robb.

Japanese Girl Fringe Boots, Sweater & Scarf in Tokyo

tokyo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:41:20 +0000

This 17-year-old Japanese high school student was photographed in Harajuku. She said that most of the items that she’s wearing were purchased at resale and vintage shops in Koenji and Daikanyama. Her outfit consists of a tassel scarf worn over a knit sweater with stitched flower designs and colorful tassels, a pink skirt, black stockings, and black fringe boots. Her accessories include a red leather purse and a vintage Casio Data Bank calculator watch. She told us that her favorite place to buy clothing is at vintage and resale shops and her favorite band is Bump of Chicken.

Click any of the photos to enlarge them.

Two Smiley Japanese Girls in Hats in Harajuku

tokyo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:27:13 +0000

These two smiley Japanese girls were photographed in Harajuku. The girl on the left is 23 years old. She’s wearing a hat, a duffle coat from Ray Beams, a flowery skirt from Beams Boy, knit leggings, and Birkenstock sandals. Her red leather handbag is from No. 44. She said that her favorite shops/brands include Another Edition, Beams Boy, and Journal Standard. As far as music, she listens to Acidman, 10-Feet, Straightener, and The Birthday.

Her friend on the right is 24 years old. She’s wearing a hat with a cute bow on it along with a military-inspired jacket from Goocy, a miniskirt from Circus & Co., stockings, and heels from Mystic. Her fringe leather handbag is from Another Edition. She told us that her favorite fashion brands include Another Edition and Mystic, and that her favorite singer is Chara.

Click any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Harajuku Girl in Glasses & Safety Pin Sweater

tokyo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:32:33 +0000

This 21-year-old Japanese girl is named Moco. She’s an illustrator who works in a cafe. Her fashion has a Harajuku-punk vibe to it – and, in fact, we photographed her in Harajuku.

She’s wearing a blue beret with a bow on it, glasses, a sweater from Kinji with safety clips holding it closed, a red cardigan, a white ruffle shirt, a black scarf, a blue skirt from Thank You Mart, stockings with big red hearts on them, and hightop Ed Hardy sneakers with a roses-and-skulls illustration. She said that her studded bag is from the shop Nude ‘n Rude, and that some of her accessories came from Savoy. Her favorite shops include Kinji, Rude Gallery, and Savoy. Her favorite bands include Thee Machine Gun Elephant and The World Apartment Horror. (She has a sticker for this band on her bag).

If you want to see some of Moco’s illustrations, you can check the “Gallery” link on her website.

Click any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Silver Jewelry, Hats & A Cute Smile in Harajuku

tokyo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:05:48 +0000

This cute Japanese couple was photographed on Cat Street in Harajuku. The girl had such a great smile! Both were wearing hats, and their style had kind of a vintage Americana vibe. The girl’s shopping bag was from Lyla Shibuya, the womenswear store produced by NEPENTHES – the brand behind Engineered Garments. You can see some of that feeling in the outfits these two are wearing. The guy is wearing a lot of interesting silver jewelry, including the big chain necklace, a bent fork bracelet, several rings (including a silver skull), and a keyring earring – with real keys attached. We didn’t have time to get all the usual brand/music info this time, sorry!

Click any of the photos to enlarge them.