Phenomenon “NOSTALGIA” Collection 2012-13 A/W

The 2012-13 A/W edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo is under way! TokyoFashion.com’s contributors are reporting back from runway shows and events all over town several times each day. Be sure to check out all of our Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo coverage.

On Friday, March 23rd, Japanese label Phenomenon showcased their 2012 Autumn/Winter collection on the runway at Tokyo Midtown.

Phenomenon was founded in 2004 by Takeshi Osumi (aka BIG-O). He dubs the brand’s concept as “music”. The label is extremely popular among young Japanese men who are into streetwear. The clothes have a strong urban and American hip-hop influence with a Tokyo street sensibility and a Japanese attitude toward high quality manufacturing.

The Phenomenon 2012-13 A/W “NOSTALGIA” collection was one of our favorite collections of Tokyo Fashion Week #13. Phenomenon built a strong reputation as a Japanese streetwear brand, along with the likes of Swagger, Neighborhood, and (dare we mention) Bape. But the last few seasons have seen Takeshi Osumi veer off in a different direction than his Harajuku contemporaries. While Phenomenon hasn’t abandoned the influences of the “streetwear” label that initially made him popular, the brand seems intent on progressing beyond genre expectations.

The Phenomenon “NOSTALGIA” collection mixed elements of “Trad”, Japanese streetwear (the thick knit leggings were fantastic), and creative material choices in a way that made the whole collection look new and fresh. The specific pieces, as well as the overall looks, showed extreme attention to detail (sometimes reminding us of Comme des Garcons). Even the casting was top notch – with the models looking like they belonged in the outfits.

The Phenomenon show was the official finale of this Tokyo Fashion Week (even though there are several off-schedule shows throughout the weekend), and expectations were obviously high. Judging by the response from those in the audience, it’s clear that the brand’s upward trajectory will continue for at least another season. We’re already looking forward to seeing what they’ll come up with for S/S 2013.

Please click the thumbnails below to check out the full sized versions of all of the pictures for yourself.

Phenomenon 2012-13 Autumn/Winter

Click any of the pictures to enlarge them!

External Link: Phenomenon Official Website

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.