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

Cocktail dresses, opera coats and enveloping golden shirt dresses mean Fall for a certain kind of woman. That woman is Isaac Mizrahi's woman. Quintessentially urban in its expectations of the autumnal wardrobe, Isaac Mizrahi's Fall 2008 collection speaks to the needs of a city liver. As Isaac reminded us in our video interview at his Fall 2008 show, this collection "its a classic thing." And indeed his "everyday life, everyone's everyday life, the way I observe things" hint at a kind of classicism unique to New York.


"The millions of inspirations that go in the top" as Isaac quoted to us, come out evoking a world of sophisticated parties, soul searching late nights, and a twinge of hard knowledge that comes from staying out late in the city that never sleeps. And even while day looks from the collection have cheery moments of whimsy with fall motifs of leaves and pears, the reminiscing about crisp mornings to us has more to do with awaking to them after long cold nights. And while one can easily say that Isaac's girl is enjoying Wagner at night and Central Park in the morning, we think she is a bit more knowing about her pleasures. Our exclusive original photo editorial with Isaac's Fall 2008 looks suggest at evenings of nuance, inspiration, longing, and maybe even pain. Because everyday life doesn't just happen during the day.

Karl Lagerfeld meant it when he said in our video interview that he had a new proportion for Chanel RTW. The attitude and the mood of that proportion is "we are longer and leaner than anyone else."We suppose that is why the models looked so tiny against the giant 2.55 purses. And as he said it was not overcharged with details. And while Karl, ever the marketing genius, had a few new "it" items like the little beret and the two colored stocking, the collection itself was not overcharged. The message was loud, clear, and slim.

Oscar De La Renta loves a strong woman. Each season he reiterates his appreciation for women that know what they want and know how to get it. His sincere devotion to a certain ideal of womanhood gives him an almost uncanny ability to hit the high points of an emerging cultural moment with his garments. Thus his Fall 2008 collection contains nearly every major trend for the fall season including opulent detailing, lean tailoring, layered textures, and color-of-the moment plum. And while the rest of the world is focused on another cultural moment we find ourselves completely mesmerized by Oscar's world. Oscar's laughing, confident, penetrating and, dare we say it, strong woman exemplifies our hope for a world in which substance matches style. And while we here at Coutorture feel quite privileged to be tackling these challenges a little early with the Fall 2008 garments featured in our editorial we expect the rest of fashion will have caught up by September. But by then Oscar De La Renta will have prepared yet another vision of womanhood for us. Proving that to be be truly strong one must always be a little bit ahead of the pack.

Todd Magill, the designer behind Wyeth, has launched a new line called Graydn for Fall 2008. We admired Wyeth for its elegant yet youthful and modern aesthetic, and are happy to see that those elements are alive and well with Graydn. Magill has a knack for creating feminine pieces for the girl who loves to wear dresses, but is repelled by anything frilly. By combining softer elements with menswear tailoring, the simple lines cut in decadent silks and fine woolens allow us to embrace our girly side without gagging.

Graydn strikes a perfect balance between romance and reality, offering a wardrobe of flexible options for the woman who rejects fly-by-night trends in favor of sophisticated pieces that she can rework, season after season. We also love that he includes a space for his inspiration on his website, where visitors can scroll through images of the textures, colors, and shapes he drew upon to create the collection. We often find ourselves wishing we could glimpse the inspiration boards of some of our favorite designers, as it helps to lend a meaning to their work that isn't immediately obvious and allows us to appreciate it more.