U.S. designers turn to Japan for ideas
Harajuku trendsetters, Kyoto arts provide additional grist for creative mill
By MANDY WILLINGHAM
LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) From Tokyo's trend-setting Harajuku shopping district to the timeless artistry of kimono hand-woven in Kyoto, Japanese style and culture are growing sources of inspiration for American fashion designers and artists.
Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino poses with her Hello Kitty-inspired Pink Head collection at her new store in the fashionable Melrose neighborhood in Los Angeles.
That influence has emerged in a variety of forms -- Tokyo street-style couture and restyled kimono have appeared on New York fashion runways, while chic Los Angeles boutiques showcase jewelry adorned with variations on Hello Kitty, the ubiquitous cartoon cat.
"Japanese culture definitely influences American fashion," said Jason Campbell, founder and editor in chief of JC Report, a global fashion trend-tracking Web site, which will start a Japanese-language version in February.
For nearly 30 years, Harajuku, with its numerous clothing stores and trendy boutiques, has attracted multitudes of fashion-savvy youth who have developed an array of vibrant subcultures, such as the lace-clad Gothic Lolitas' and brightly coiffed punk rockers.
In late 2004, pop-star-turned-designer Gwen Stefani introduced American fans to Harajuku's colorful culture with her debut solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.," featuring "Harajuku Girls," an ode to the district's fashionable young women. Then, last year, the 36-year-old lead singer for No Doubt launched her codesigned high-end apparel line L.A.M.B., followed by a collection of casual wear and accessories called Harajuku Lovers: A Fatal Attraction to Cuteness, featuring playful street-style designs inspired by Stefani's fondness for Harajuku fashion.
"Customers love the line and they love Gwen Stefani," said Yvonne Leung, store manager of the trend-setting Kitson store in Los Angeles. The celebrity shopping hot spot was the first retailer to carry the Harajuku Lovers line.
"It's Gwen that's brought a different part of Japan to us. At this point, she's turned Harajuku Lovers into such a brand itself that it's like another Hello Kitty," Leung said.
Stefani recently completed a U.S. concert tour featuring four female dancers, three of them Japanese, dressed in a series of Harajuku-style costumes and elaborate street wear.
American giants, including Walt Disney, are also staking their claim on Harajuku's rapidly evolving fashion scene.
Jeff Daggett, vice president of Disney's Softlines-Japan, regularly monitors style trends in Harajuku, including the recent popularity of eye treatments and fashion contact lenses. Daggett said he and other observers share their findings with counterparts throughout Asia and in Disney's global Softlines divisions.
Disney also helps to shape those trends by developing partnerships with Japanese fashion companies. In 2004, the entertainment company worked with Tokyo-based retro-punk label Hysteric Glamour to create high-end T-shirts featuring Tinker Bell, the blonde pixie of "Peter Pan" fame.
"It was a collaboration of two unexpected companies -- Disney with their rich heritage of characters and Hysteric because of their strong fashion and trend-setting reputation," said Dennis Green, senior vice president of Creative for Disney Softlines, who managed the firm's relations with Hysteric Glamour.
The T-shirts, which portrayed Tinker Bell in a backdrop of punk and graffiti scenes, retailed for around $100 at Hysteric Glamour's trendy Harajuku store, and the popular Fred Segal boutique in Los Angeles.
While Tokyo's hip fashion district remains a powerful fashion influence, some progressive American designers are also finding inspiration in traditional elements of Japanese culture.
New York design duo Heatherette incorporate style influences from urban London, New York and Japan into their adventurous fashions. Their designs typically feature bold, contrasting patterns, bright colors and playful, iconic imagery.
In 2003, the pair, consisting of Richie Rich, 29, and Traver Rains, 28, took their design process to Japan, as guests of a Kyoto-based program to promote modern interpretations of traditional kimono artistry.
As participants, Rich and Rains lived in Kyoto and observed traditional Japanese arts, including the weaving of silk used for kimono. The two later used silk and fabric from vintage and new kimono for their spring 2004 collection.
"The fabric is so elegant that you almost can't demystify the beauty of it -- the patterns just bounce off the fabrics," Rich said. "When we were cutting into the fabrics it was like a guilty pleasure, just knowing the intensity of the work."
Rich, a former ice skater, and Rains, a rodeo champion, reinvented the kimono in a series of vibrant designs, including dramatic robes in shimmering gold and red, and patchwork-style skirts in a range of delicate white, green and blue patterns.
They premiered their designs in 2003 in Osaka, followed by a colorful New York show titled "From Kyoto with Love," which also featured models wearing 30 vintage kimono brought from Kyoto.
"In our Kyoto collection, I think (people) thought we were going to come up with really over the top, crazy looks, but instead we found the designs almost shaped themselves into traditional-feeling pieces," Rich said.
Heatherette are also looking to modern Japanese trends for inspiration. They have a collection of handbags and T-shirts labeled Hello Kitty Couture by Heatherette, retailing in Japan. The iconic cat will grace the pair's junior apparel line in the U.S. this June.
Rich also confirmed plans for Heatherette to design clothes for the popular Japanese pop duo Puffy AmiYumi, next season.
For other designers, Japanese style and culture have been long-standing sources of inspiration.
Los Angeles-based fashion jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino has admired Japanese style for decades.
The Japan Times: Jan. 20, 2006
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