The museum exhibit “Japan Fashion Now” will be shown at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City now through January 8, 2011 in their Special Exhibitions Gallery which is part of the Museum at FIT. Please check the museum’s schedules for exact times and dates. Admission is free.

The Japanese fashion revolution of the 1980s dramatically transformed the world of fashion. Avant-garde Japanese designers introduced a radically new fashion concept to the catwalks of Paris. These designers were instrumental in creating a new attitude toward the beauty of imperfection and a new appreciation of avant-garde fashion as “art.”

The museum’s introductory gallery will set the scene for today’s looks by featuring approximately two dozen iconic examples of asymmetrical, “deconstructed” garments by Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, as well as avant-garde styles by Issey Miyake, who combined innovative textile technologies with aspects of traditional Japanese dress. Both men’s and women’s styles by Matsuda will also be featured, as will “Orientalist” fashions by Kenzo and Hanae Mori, and pop-culture jumpsuits by Kansai Yamamoto. In addition, the main gallery reveals approximately 90 ensembles set within a dramatically-styled space evoking the iconic cityscape of 21st-century Tokyo. 

Contemporary Japanese fashion remains significant globally primarily because it mixes elements of experimental, innovative fashion with aspects of subcultural and street style. Equally significant, however, is the Japanese obsession with perfecting classic utilitarian garments such as jeans, sneakers, and leather jackets. Extreme, even fanatical, attention to detail is characteristic of much of the best Japanese fashion.

In conjunction with this exhibit, Yale University Press  has published a lavishly illustrated book, also called Japan Fashion Now containing 120 color images ($39.94).  If you’re not able to make it to the exhibit, the detailed book will be the next best thing.

 

Launch Gallery