As it began in 2005, Japan Fashion Week is still not as clearly visible as those of Paris and New York. To that end, here is our recap of the designers who showed their Fall 2008 collections on the runway yesterday, many of whom are newcomers to the West. Now, soak up these summaries and casually drop this info like Japan Fashion Week is 'yesterday's news'. You'll be photographed by Cobrasnake, hit up on Myspace, and be asked to start your own Viva Radio show in no time.








Hidenobu Yasui: A Central St Martin's grad who's been designing for nearly ten years (though the St Martins bit came right in the middle of this). Yasui speaks of his designs by saying, "I hope that my collection makes a woman feel nostalgic, as well as protected with a soft touch that characterizes the [the] willowy, feminine side of her." This Fall 08 saw long, lean blazers and an ivory and black palate that was quite chic and soft, though not 'girly'.


MODE ÀCŌTÉ: Minoru Adachi's line was one of the first to appear in Japan Fashion Week back in 2005. His collections are distributed internationally. This Fall 08 collection, coined as 'noir', experimented with texture and tailoring. Thigh high patent leather boots anchored the more feminine frocks and blouses in the collection.


Kamishima Chinami:Kamishima Chinami launched her own line in 1998, after nearly ten years working in the industry. This season, Chinami succeeded in using tule and down in the most tailored way imaginable (two elements that are known for just the opposite) resulting in a collection that was full off contrasts in texture and shape.


Zechia: Zechia is designed by Masahiro Nakagawa and Lica, both former designers for brand 20471120. This fashion week they focused on ethical textiles and called upon retro inspired silhouettes from the 1950's and 60's to inspire their 'woman' themed collection. Select garments from the collection are also being auctioned off for charity. This is Zechia's first season in Japan Fashion Week, and their second collection to date.


Motonari Ono: Motonari Ono's Fall 2008 collection was his first to appear in Japan Fashion Week. The young designer worked as chief pattern maker for Bora Aksu in London before returning to Japan to launch his own collection. As to be expected Ono's aesthetic speaks to a younger consumer, as his designs are quarky and sexy; that special brand of twenty-something pizzaz. Perhaps it's Ono's other occupation as an illustrator that contributes to this lively, youthful aesthetic.


Mint Designs: Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi are the designers behind Mint Designs. Both finished their training at Central St. Martins, where they met. Since the label's launch in 2001, Mint Designs has participated in Uniqlo's Designers Invitation Project and won the New Face Designer Award providing them with international recognition. This Fall 08's theme "Trash, Slash, and Flash" was all about bright colors (orange in particular) and wild, imaginative designs.

We also have impressive designer video interviews and original editorial spreads. May we cordially suggest perusing our selection? Enjoy New York Fashion Week Designer Video Interviews from Oscar De La Renta, Donna Karan for DKNY,Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Ashleigh Verrier , Adam Lippes, James Coviello, John Varvatos , Monique Lhuillier, Joanna Mastroianni, Tory Burch, Neeam Khan

There we have it. Japan Fashion Week has commenced and if you haven't been catching up on fashion happenings all weekend, here is our recap from the best of Friday and Saturday's shows. What we like about Tokyo's Fashion Week is that it gives us the chance to look at truly stunning collections without having preconceived notions about what to expect, as we're not nearly as familiar with these designers as with their New York-based counterparts. When armed with only a bit of information and the context of Fashion Weeks gone by, these collections feel fresh and exciting. In case you missed them, click to catch up on our recaps from day one, two, three, and four.


Somarta: Designer Tamae Hirokawa started her own multi-faceted design company, Soma Design, in 2006. The company covers such fields as graphic design, fashion design, sound and visual direction. Expect then, Somarta's collections to never be described as 'classic' or 'conservative'. A true artiste in every sense of the word, Hirokawa showed a Fall 08 collection with other-worldy details and some truly intricate knits. To see the Fall 08 collection likened to costume, check out our network partner, Trendinista, for some uncanny comparisons. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Ritsuko Shirahama: Ritsuko Shirahama has been designing since the late 1980's and can now boast international retail accounts like no other. What were we doing in the 1980's? Hanging out with our parents and watching cartoons. We respect a designer who was out giving us things to write about before we even knew how to write. This Fall 08 Shirahama showed a collection that referenced the plum madness (not to mention layering texture) for Fall 08, it was a bit brighter and wilder so should suit the young folk who haven't quite hit their Oscar de la Renta stage. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Theatre Products: Akira Takeuchi, one part of the design duo, worked as a pattern maker for Commes des Garcon for years, while the other part, Tayuka Nakanishi, worked for Vivienne Tam. The two started Theatre Products in 2001, and now comes up with that wild, young aesthetic on their own watch. This Fall 08 saw Betsey Johnson-like prints and styling, unforgettable were the toupee-like wigs. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


G.V.G.V.: This Fall 08 collection by G.V.G.V. touched on many of the Fall 08 trends as seen in New York Fashion Week. That includes hats, jewel/rich color, fur, leather gloves, and colored tights. The overall feel was a bit of 1970's glamour with a film noir feel that kept it classy, rather than disco-y.


Calcium:Designer Kunio Uehara first came to America in 1993. His experiences and collaborations are far-reaching and include such globally popular companies and Muji. This Fall 08, Calcium was focused on layering print and texture. The collection was youthful and vibrant, one of our favorite pieces was a poppy colored trench with grey fur collar.

The beautiful thing about being in New York during Japan Fashion Week is the time difference. During New York Fashion Week, we're riding the train deep into the bowels of Brooklyn, passing tapes to our editor, telling him that if we don't get those videos up within the hour, we'll have missed our chance. During Tokyo on the other hand, suddenly, in our gmail come the next batch of shows. We check our watches, remember the time difference (again), think to ourselves, if only we could train ourselves to be twelve hours ahead of schedule, or, if only we could train ourselves to be twelve hours behind schedule. And then we sit and really get meta about how this would work and which is better; we drink too much coffee. You know, hey, anyway, day four. Recapping it for you. Consider yourself earning cool points by the second.






Ele Tra: The designer, Ritsuko Kato, gained design experience working for Kate Spade and Old England. This is the first solo collection for Ritsuko Kato, who claims to be aiming for the luxury market. We see these things in Fall 08. We see the luxury (fur), we see the Kate Spade (ear muffs and printed skirts), we also see, ahem, a teddy bear in the arms of a model. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Tiny Dinosaur: Yes, the name is sheer brilliance. Yes, we want to live in a world where major companies name themselves adjective+'dinosaur'. The Fall 08 collection was also quite good. It was balanced in the sense that where the volume was outrageous, the palette was not, where the print or color was loud, the shape was a little more modest. A collection we're sure Opening Ceremony would love. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Garconshinois:For Fall 08 they're bringing forth the men's cape, enough said. Okay, also the designer, Shin, worked exclusively as a hair and makeup artist until launching the label in 2006. The aesthetic of his collection is quite urban and reflects his experience in the fashion industry from a, ahem, style perspective. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Yukiko Hanai: Yukiko Hanai established Atelier Hanai in 1964. The company now covers a broad range of lifestyle notions, including womenswear. This Fall 08 season revealed a collection to rival the wardrobe for Dynasty. Bright separates, voluminous sleeves, and broad shoulders made for an aesthetic that embodies the 'working woman' circa 1984. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Junya Tashiro:Launched in 2004, this brand veers towards natrual fabrics such as linen in earthy tones. Fall 08 called out the earth mother in all of us with 1990's knit lace details in ivories and plums. Our favorite look from the collection, part of the opening act, was a trim tailored suit worn with a top hat. If you're going to go for that LCD hippie freak out thing, you might as well be the circus leader. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Takumi Hatakeyama: You can find Takumi Hatakeyama's designs at New York's Coterie, a sure sign that if you don't already know the brand you will, at some point, come across it. Our favorite look in the Fall 08 collection was a raspberry tule skirt and sweater combination that, with short black leather gloves, would make one killer outfit. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Royal Chie: Chie Imai began her career by designing for a line called Royal Fur in 1978. In the decades that passed the designer took over another fur company and relaunched the label as Royal Chie some years later. In 2002, she was recognized as one of the top 40 entrepreneurial women in the world, and in 2007 she opened a Royal Chie store on Madison Avenue. This Fall 08, a convenient time to show fur, revealed bomber style minks and dyed furs that will surely impress the new market of under-40's who are becoming increasingly interested in wearing fur. Lucky for us, there's a New York shop to indulge in. Click here to see images of the Fall 08 collection.

Feel like you're getting the full Japan Fashion Week experience? Well, good. Day three has come and gone and we've got the recap (plus some nifty images) of what went down. Wednesday's Fall 08 collections were those by Everlasting Sprout, Hisui, and Fumio, among others. Doesn't ring a bell? Don't worry, we've got your back. If these shows don't strike your fancy, or you just feel like taking a trip down memory lane, don't forget that we've covered all of the Fall 08 Fashion Week collections, including those from New York, Paris, and London.








Everlasting Sprout: Keiichi Muramatsu and Noriko Seki make up this design team. Both work as costume and knitwear designers in addition to running their line, Everlasting Sprout. As a result, they really pull out all the stops with their knitwear. This Fall 08 season saw bohemian knits with a grandma-made-me-this appeal. That means rolled hems on cozy separates like cardigans and knee length skirts. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Fumio: If your keen on Coterie, you might have noticed Fumio, represented by Niccolo showroom, in New York. In addition to designing the line, Fumio Akiyama runs the women's coat division of Sanyo Shokai Co. Ltd. Fumio is the kind of line you imagine would be represented in America as it can be characterized as feminine book wormy office wear. Fall 08 makes us think of grande chai lattes and romantic comedies. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Corazon del Alma: Nobuhide Koi was a designer for Prada and Versace before starting his own line, Corazon del Alma, which he launched in 2007. The brand is often characterized by references to nature, particularly with prints. This Fall 08 saw this attribute manifest in the form of underwater and animal motifs. These are the perfect summer frocks for the over-fifty's with somewhere to go on a Saturday night in the Hamptons. Looks like all that Prada and Versace served Koi well. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Hisui: Designer Hiroko Ito graduated from F.I.T. in 1990 and worked with Commes des Garcon for four years thereafter. This becomes clear by way of Hiroko Ito's avant garde pajama party aesthetic. This Fall 08 struck a weird nerve, though, where it reminded us of when our little brother's went through that hippie stage and stopped showering and wore extra long, tattered corduroys and Bill Cosby sweaters. But hey. Maybe your little brothers were straight edge and you won't get the creepy Phish fan vibe. Click to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Raphus cucu: A designer who references birds as an intregal part of their brand identity, makes us think, automatically, that we're heading for an overdose of femininity. Yep. Although, the hair for Eriko Isoya's Fall 08 collection, like nests, was pretty awesome. Big hair is back afterall! Fall 08 gave us that 'dark angel' brand of girlishness that is marketable and palatable. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.

Tokyo's got it goin' on. We're on the third day of Japan Fashion Week, and if you aren't live blogging the festivities, or perhaps missed yesterday's happenings, here's our recap of what went down. With only a few official years under their belt, Tokyo's Fashion Week is proving to be a place where talent simmers and fashionistas tune in. Much less stressful that our cities own tent shows, we love the opportunity to watch Fall 08 from the comfort of our favorite NYC coffee shop.






Mikio Sakabe: This duo design team met in Belgium and returned to Japan to launch Mikio Sakabe, though the companies namesake started the line in Fall 07, with a collection shown in Paris. This Fall 08 the collection included some fantastical prints that referenced those seen in the previous resort collection. As has been consistent, masculine tailoring and extras like ties, make for wild but smart silhouettes. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Support Surface: Norio Surikabe's line, Support Surface, was launched in the crazy year of 1999. Prior to the lines conception Surikabe gained experience designing for Alberto Biani. This Fall 08 stayed true to the Support Surface aesthetic, which is typically conservative, and classic in its reliance on knitwear, basic trousers, and feminine blouses. This Fall 08 saw typical Fall colors like burnt orange, vanilla, and rusty brown. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Under Castle: Hmmm, we're picking up on the visual. This men's underwear line 'Under Castle' is run by Shinichiro Shimojo. Shimojo devotes himself, in addition to fashion, to graphic design and writing. Like many designers, these extra-fashion pursuits influence the designs we see on the runway. For Fall 08, the womenswear pieces were relatively subdued with graphic prints for matching sets. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Ato:The collection was borne over ten years ago and since then has maintained its own manufacturing facilities, flagship store, and various international accounts. As for America, you can only find the line in Los Angeles (much to our surprise) or via e-commerce, that is, if you prefer to just nestle in your East Coast lounge chair.


Jotaro Saito: At 27 Jotaro Saito became a kimono artist, making him one of the youngest designers to devote himself to this craft. Today the line thrives as one that maintains the traditional uniform yet speaks to a modern lifestyle and younger consumer. Saito's line has also expanded to include a vast selection of interior notions (from furniture to custom screens) and has even broadened his scope to include rolling suitcases. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Ne-net: The brand Ne-net is one of many to reside under the A-net, Inc. umbrella. This Fall 08 season revealed wild animal masks in compliment to garments layered with dynamic textures. The overall feelings was of a child's subconscious where innocent play lends itself to darker truths. Designer Kazuaki Takashima had his debut collection featured in Japan Fashion Week the same year that line was conceived, it has been thriving as an avant garde line ever since. Click here to see images from the Fall 08 collection.


Matohu: Both Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi worked as pattern makers for five years before launching their line, Matohu, in 2005. The pair met while working for Bora Aksu, and returned to Japan thereafter to start the line. Given their technical skills and back end knowledge of the business it's no wonder that Fall 08 included oversized knits and jerseys that were not lost on the rail-thin models. Oversized is not always as simple as it looks. One dreamy Autumn skied overcoat, for instance, tucked in just the right places. Click to the see images from the Fall 08 collection.