Japan Fashion Week

Japan Fashion Week is having a renaissance and using technology to lure back visitors. The week long show in the past has had trouble attracting both local and foreign media because the programme was very long. This season, real-time videos were aired on large screens, predominantly broadcasting shows that took place at Tokyo Midtown. Visitors were able to capture the catwalk shows from anywhere inside Midtown region from their mobile phones with 1Seg TV (digital TV).

Highlights from the fledgling fashion talent pool included Motonari Ono, Mikio Sakabe, Aguri Sagimori and Heath, and other hot tickets and must-see shows such as Matohu, Everlasting Sprout, Somarta and Hiroko Koshino were also broadcast to the public and visitors without tickets, according to WGSN.

Focusing on Japanese traditional techniques, Matohu took a new approach by combining modern prints, a bright colour palette and suede boots with beautiful kimono silhouettes. Somarta also attracted the crowd with its theatrical show based around its innovative knitwear.

The debut collections from new labels, particularly, attracted many viewers, as most of the designers have just graduated from renowned European fashion colleges. Motonari Ono, the former chief pattern-maker of Bora Asku, was a definite crowd pleaser with his reconstructed tailoring mixed with feminine details of frills and bow embellishments.

Overall, key trends seen emerging at JFW include caped coats, military-inspired jackets, tuxedo dresses, abstract art prints, kimono silhouettes and architectural shapes. Even the most eccentric labels went for a sophisticated look this season, with tailored jackets and pencil skirts.

Japan Fashion Week in Toyko is organised by the Japanese government and private sector to create the "world's fashion base" in Tokyo. It aims to strengthen the competitive power of the Japanese fashion industry and to introduce Japanese high-quality and creative fashion to the rest of the world. Japan Fashion Week runs until 16 March.

Image: Ato AW08 show