From Monday, March 14th to Saturday, March 19th, the Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO hosted by Japan Fashion Week Organization has showcased a diverse variety of the world’s most high-end statement pieces. With over 54 brands in attendance and 30 physical showcases, Tokyo’s 2022 spring fashion week is one of the first in-person fashion displays since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world under lockdown. For the past two years, a sweeping majority of fashion shows were virtual, diminishing the “wow factor” of many designer’s pieces. As the world rebuilds from the wrath of the pandemic, an emphasis is placed on public health, ensuring that covid flare-ups are contained, especially at events where representatives from across the globe will be present. Tokyo’s 2022 fashion week took the initiative to enforce visitors to wear masks at all times and to limit guest capacities to 200-250 people at each venue. Such precautions resulted in the accentuation of Japanese fashion brands as many international designers could not make it to the event. This platform provided opportunities for young Japanese designers to receive global exposure in the fashion industry, possibly increasing Japanese fashion influence of various trends in the coming months. 

The common theme of Tokyo Fashion Week 2022 can be reflected in various designers’ work, emphasizing neon, bold prints. Highly contrasting traditional European designs with a minimalistic impression, the designers featured at Tokyo fashion week spared no expense in developing a never-before-seen, dystopian aesthetic throughout the show. This concept is echoed in the words of Rakuten Fashion Week representatives in an official statement featured on their youtube. “Today, as the world surrounding us continues to change daily, conventional ordinary has become unordinary, with the way one carries themselves, the way one faces others, each personʼs sense of distance is changing at the pace of each individual.” After reviewing various highlights throughout the week, some standout collections that caught my attention are displayed below:

Ryunosuke Okazaki

Ozaki’s collection is particularly outstanding, for his designs exemplify the dystopian theme of the week in an unparalleled style of composition. The precise line work, with influence from Japanese pottery, in combination with the vast range of bright colors, is thought-provoking and visually appealing at the same time.

Yoshio Kubo

Yoshio Kubo’s collection is inspired by the geometric shape of kites, displaying both rigid structures and flowy designs to portray the diversity of such installations. The designs are particularly fascinating since all of Kubo’s pieces are black, yet they are all distinctly different.

Seivson

Perhaps my favorite collection from TFW FW2022 is Seivson’s line due to the combination of class and destructive garments in each piece. Seivson’s collection displays the the message that sexy does not necessarily have to correlate to body exposure, enhancing the idea of the divine feminine.

Pays des Fees

Pays des Fees collection is remarkably symbolic, for her garments are bright and colorful this year, exhibiting a considerable shift from the darker and angrier garments last year. Such a shift demonstrates the theme of the year, highlighting the world’s recovery from the effects of the pandemic and providing hope for the future.