On September 1, just before Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, the Tokyo Fashion Award ceremony—hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFWO)—honored eight outstanding brands. Now in its 10th edition, this award aims to support Tokyo-based fashion brands in expanding their international presence.
The selection criteria for the award included being a Tokyo-based business with the potential to become a leading international brand, having designs, product variety, and pricing suitable for global expansion, and demonstrating a strong commitment to entering the overseas market with the necessary preparations in place. The judges evaluated the collections through brand shows, exhibitions, installations, and atelier visits before making final decisions.
The list of brands awarded the 2025 Tokyo Fashion Award is as follows:
Brands supported during Paris Men’s Fashion Week:
- KANEMASA PHIL. (Creative Director: Kengo Baba)
- paratrait (Designer: Shunta Sakai)
- Tamme (Designer: Tatsuya Tamada)
- tokio (Designer: Tokio Kimura)
Brands supported during Paris Women’s Fashion Week:
- HATRA (Designer: Keisuke Nagami)
- RIV NOBUHIKO (Designers: River Garam Jang / Nobuhiko Kohama)
- SATORU SASAKI (Designer: Satoru Sasaki)
- TAN (Designer: Aki Murakami)
The designers of these eight awarded brands will receive various forms of support.
First, in January 2025, a dedicated showroom, “showroom.tokyo,” will be established at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, where four of the TFA2025 brands will have the opportunity to engage in business matchmaking with prominent buyers. Similarly, in February 2025, a showroom will be set up at Paris Women’s Fashion Week, offering another four brands the chance to meet with buyers.
In March 2025, a homecoming event will be held at the official venue of Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO 2025 A/W, providing the awarded designers with an opportunity to showcase their talents both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, in June 2025, the showroom will be reopened at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, allowing another four brands to engage in business matchmaking with key buyers.
Finally, in September 2025, “showroom.tokyo” will again be set up at Paris Women’s Fashion Week, where four brands will have another opportunity to connect with influential buyers. Through these initiatives, the awarded designers will receive strong support in their pursuit of international success.
The Tokyo Fashion Award has long served as a crucial platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of fashion talent, and it remains committed to providing further support to help these awarded designers achieve global success.