- Title: JAPAN: Japanese designers' showmanship shine at Tokyo Fashion Week
- Date: 22nd March 2008
- Summary: (L!WE) TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 14, 2008) (REUTERS) OPENING OF "GUT'S DYNAMITE CABARETS" 2008-2009 AUTUMN AND WINTER COLLECTION A MODEL WALKING DOWN THE RUNWAY MODELS DANCING ON THE RUNWAY DRAG QUEEN MODELS WITH HEAVY MAKE-UP WALKING 60 YEAR-OLD MODEL TAKESHI KUDO WALKING DOWN THE RUNWAY
- Embargoed: 6th April 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Fashion,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA1YCF2RS2PL8IM2MEBVID2XNFR
- Story Text: New Japanese designers bring out glitz and glamour, drag queens and offbeat performances at Tokyo Fashion Week.
Tokyo Fashion Week brought out the edgy and off beat on Friday (March 14) with models of all walks of life rocking and grooving on the catwalk.
Among the ten collections showcased in midtown Tokyo on Friday, "Gut's Dynamite Cabarets," a budding Japanese brand, stood apart.
Originally a men's underwear collection, the two designers of this house -- Cabaret Aki and Jackal Kuzu from the central Japanese city of Osaka, have expanded the brand in to a full-blossomed unisex urban street wear trademark.
Models at the show were no carbon-copy models. Dancers, journalists, fashion students, drag queens and just plain fans of the brand joined a handful of professional runway models. The collection theme was called "Love Love Safari" as more than twenty-five models, all close friends of the designers, strode down the runway in bright neon outfits with zebra and leopard prints.
"Designers' funky, pop and entertaining style is reflected in the collection. I had a blast walking down the catwalk!" said 60 year-old fashion journalist Takeshi Kudo, who also sauntered down the catwalk with a mink boa .
To these young designers, the sixth Japan Fashion Week meant more than the catwalk razzle-dazzle.
"Japan Fashion Week provides the just opportunity for designers like us, who don't speak English and don't have the channels to reach out to the foreign markets," Jackal Kuzu, 34, co-designer of Gut's Dynamite Cabarets, told Reuters.
Another young duo also surprised the guests with their showmanship. The main catwalk was no where to be found at Akira Takeuchi and Tayuka Nakanishi's "Theatre Products" collection.
"We didn't want to create an obvious runway," Nakanishi told Reuters.
"It's a photoshoot, not a fashion show," added co-designer Takeuchi.
Models posed to the rhythm of camera flash and stylists interfered the photo session right in front of the guests.
The two designed their collection inspired by famed 80's pop and rock singer Cyndi Lauper. Models wore black, shocking pink and beige garments with dotted and alphabet prints.
More than forty designers, including ten newbies, have presented their 2008-2009 autumn and winter collection at Tokyo Fashion Week. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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