For Shoe Fetish To Graffiti Mania

Spring has come and the museums are in bloom of eye-popping fashionable exhibitions. So step out and enjoy a sweet little escape. The first solo exhibition of Christian Louboutin started at the FIT museum (till Apr.19). It shows the shoe maestro's creative talent with his glamorous red-soled stilettos. After traveling LA, Takashi Murakami will land in NYC again (will start in Apr.5). The acclaimed artist's big show at Brooklyn museum will amaze you with his pop arts and multi-colored Louis Vuitton monogram. The museum will also show a legendary jeweler Art Smith. Furthermore, the downtown punk and graffiti star Stephen Sprouse will be shown in October at Deitch project.

(photo: Stephen Sprouse by Judgecal -on Flickr)

Reunion

There was tension and an energetic atmosphere everywhere before Yohji Yamamoto's fashion show. When I talked with Tamaka Takefushi, my friend in LA, my memories flashed back in rapid succession. We both worked for Yohji more than ten years ago in public relations. Tamaka is now an interpreter of Japanese actors such as Rinko Kikuchi from Babel. I remind myself how much the designer put his blood into his work. He never holds back anything for his fashion shows--from the venue, stage direction, sounds, lights, models, invitation cards, and of course, to his creation. 

I think, for him, fashion shows are not just shows to present his latest clothes, but platforms where he presents his thoughts, vision, art, and ironies or objections toward fashion.

I was looking forward to the opening of a new Yohji Yamamoto boutique in New York. I heard the rumor about the shop opening a few years ago, but media kept publicizing that the opening in the Meatpacking district had been postponed. In February, during 2008 Fall New York Fashion Week, the store finally opened. It had been twenty years since he opened his first flagship store on Grand Street in SoHo. Tamaka also heard the news and emailed me. We promised to go together to the opening, and realized that almost a decade had passed since we had last met.

At the opening night, I observed the store's very imposing wedge shaped structure. A black gabardine cocktail dress with ruffles, and oversized tailored jackets were hung in a dramatic manner. Thus the inside of the boutique looked like an art gallery. At the main entrance, showcases displayed a new fine jewelry collection called Stormy Weather, the beautiful results of collaboration with Mikimoto. I noticed that Junya Ishigami, a young architect for the shop was there. He established his firm after working for SANAA--an architecture design firm of Ryue Nishijima and Kazuyo Sejima, known for New Museum. "It took two years to finish this shop," he explained. "I dismantled the building and rebuilt it again into this V-shape by using original old bricks."
This extraordinary shop looks like a rising peninsula on Gansevoort Street. On the other side of the street, the first Y-3 shop opened as well. Y-3 is a joint sportswear label with Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas. This store features futuristic interior, introduces its sports-meets-couture clothes. At these unique places, I was reunited with the designer's aesthetics.

A few days before the opening, I went to the show of Y-3 at Pier 40. What amazed me was its long glacial runway. One side of 70 meter runway was a wall made of ice blocks, as if the Arctic has come to New York. The show staff gave disposal hand-warmers to the audience, and placed lap robes with Y-3 logo on the seats.
The collection consisted of colorful tartan tailored jackets, knitwear, and padded hoodies. On some accessories such as cashmere shawls were printed with the designer's inconspicuous and inspirational messages:
"I am only one, but still I am one of few," "Don't forget to pull your zip down," "Words are full of art, I am only sighing."
The last phrase reminds me of the lecture the designer gave at Kuwasawa design school in Tokyo in 1999. He told the young design students that they should not watch fashion media. "For someone who wishes to start fashion line, the recent media is awful." 

I had a feeling lamenting my years of writing thousands of "must-have" bags & shoes, and wardrobes of celebrities.
After the show, I touched the icy wall. As a result of the rising temperature in the room, the ice had melted little by little like today's polar glacial.

(photo: Y-3 2008 fall collection (c) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)

Arts & Science

Since 90s, Sonya S. Park has a great influence on Japanese fashion since through her editorial and commercial works. The top fashion stylist has mixed designers items and vintage clothes, or feminine dresses and handsome trousers; these fresh images have stimulated not only fashion industry but also culture and fashion conscious crown in Japan.
ARTS&SCIENCE is the outstanding shops that Sonya opened in Daikanyama district in 2003 and Aoyama district in 2004. The ARTS&SCIENCE AOYAMA is located in the back street of Kotto Avenue. It is an ideal hiding place adorned with the beautiful stained glass. There you can find a lot of adorable fashion items--Sonya's favorites--from the exquisite collection by KristenseN DU NORD, aman copland, dosa, or the tableware by English pottery artist STEVE HARRISON, the fragrance of Annick Goutal, etc...
You'll also cherish the ARTS&SCIENCE original items. For this fall, they create the collection inspired by the nineteenth century gentlemen includes masculine trousers with suspender belts and the frock coat. There are also beautiful mud dyeing dresses and organic cotton pajamas with the beautiful details, they are surely good to put into your wardrobe. The ARTS&SCIENCE original items have been sold in Dover Street Market in London and the Bon Marche's "Exposition Tokyo" in Paris.
One of people who are fascinated by her shop is Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garcons. Kawakubo has picked up some pieces from ARTS&SCIENCE and sold them in her 10 corso como Comme des Garcons shop. Similarly, Sonya sells Comme des Garcons' items in her shop.
Now ARTS&SCIENCE has expanded their stages. Following Daikanyama, Aoyama and accessory shop SHOES and Things, Sonya opened another shop in Marunouchi district. Besides that, she created new concept shop and gallery called display by ARTS&SCIENCE, where she showed notable new creators such as Litmus, the traditional indigo dyeing artist duo. In ARTS&SCIECNE, SHOES and THINGS, and display by ARTS&SCIENCE, you can meet alluring pieces.
( WeAr magazine 2007)

kiryuyrik: sensual men’s tailoring

 If you are looking for classical yet sensual well-tailored menswear, check out kiryuyrik. Masakatsu Takayanagi, a Japanese designer who worked for Y's / Yohji Yamamoto has launched his own label in 2002 with business partner Yuki Taniyama. You will know his skillful pattern-making techniques when you wear his jacket Swarovski embroidered back or collar or his peaked lapel long coat with a tighter silhouette.  A vertical pocket creates elegant line and the wisely inserted pleats enable a comfortable fit.  For the 2007 autumn season, he features his unique jacquard fabric mixed with the traditional hound's-tooth check and his symbolic butterfly.  He also offers a three-piece suit and a shirt with black coated silver accessories.  Some hoodies and T-shirts with a rock-chic print add a casual aspect to his collection.  The prices of jackets are from 47,000 to 82,000 yen and the pants are from 28,000 to 45,000 yen.  kiryuyrik is sold at Isetan/Tokyo, H.Lorenzo/L.A., First Among Equals/N.Y., Day & Night/Russia, and other boutiques around the world.

(WeAr magazine/ 2007)