Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo Fall/Winter 2024 collection was held over six days, from Monday, March 11th, to Saturday, March 16th. As in previous years, Shibuya Hikarie and Omotesando Hills were chosen as the main venues for the show, and 43 brands presented their latest collections in physical and digital formats.
Following its first highlight, this article will introduce the latest collections of designers selected by OSF from 43 brands participating in Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo Fall/Winter 2024.
MIKAGE SHIN
MIKAGE SHIN presented its Fall/Winter 2024 collection on March 13, 2024, in Omotesando, Tokyo.
This season, MIKAGE SHIN has set the theme of “GAME CHANGER” as a “proposition” that will not be completed only with this collection but will continue throughout the brand’s lifetime. The collection based on such a theme was created with a desire to break free from the cocoon in its fourth year since its launch, and each piece was filled with “unexpected” elements.
For example, tailored items with an elegant and formal look were transformed into a completely new look by boldly docking different materials while continuing to express the brand’s signature structural pattern work, such as pleats and pointed hems. Each look interpreted the essence of the garment from a new angle, using elements such as fur, fringe, vegan leather, spiky embroidery, and vivid graphics to accentuate its presence and uniqueness further.
One of the most eye-catching pieces was a belted miniskirt with vegan leather and eco-fur layers docked together. The vegan leather has a unique textured grain finish, and the eco-fur is of the highest quality and is produced in Wakayama Prefecture, the only place in Japan where it is manufactured. It is a versatile item worn as a skirt or layered with pants and outerwear.
In addition, the artwork of the strange faces on the show invitations has also been incorporated into the knit sweaters as a graphic design, giving them an original and unique essence.
The term “game changer” originally referred to a player who instantly changes the course of a sports game. When the rules that have been in place until now are broken, people have a “BUG,” followed by confusion. It is that dangerous moment when you encounter something incomprehensible, are shocked, and your mind goes blank, unable to think of anything.
MIKAGESHIN freely expresses such a dreamlike state with materials like sheer fabrics, lace, and hand-cut jacquard with metallic threads. Sparkling fringe tops, skirts, and sailor-collar lace paired with dresses create a contrast between strength born from destruction and delicacy.
MIKIOSAKABE
MIKIO SAKABE held its Fall/Winter 2024 show on March 14 at the Tokyo Yoyogi National Stadium. In addition to industry professionals, the spectacular show was attended by celebrities, influencers, and guests from the public, making it the largest audience to date, with 4,000 people in attendance.
The concept of the Fall/Winter 2024 collection, entitled “The Day Today,” was a play on the theme of everyday existence, designed to deepen the essence of contemporary daily life.
The show began with a modest, minimalist off-white look, but several dresses featuring bold embellishment and volume were introduced as it progressed. The looks, with their extreme silhouette and exaggerated presence, were recreated from historical costumes, and the dresses featured an abundance of pinking, slashing, and embroidered fabrics. Furthermore, an artificial polyester jersey of the same shape was interwoven, and this contrast perfectly embodied the concept of “the extension of everyday life” pursued by designer Mikio Sakabe.
Additionally, a new shoe, “JEWELRY HIGH BUBBLE,” an improved version of the popular “JEWELRY BUBBLE” with a super-thick 12 cm sole, was also introduced this season. The design was based on shoes from the 1700s, linked to the collection, and rhinestones and glitter fabrics were used.
The show’s finale featured two consecutive looks of models with long black hair covering their faces, reminiscent of Sadako, the main character in the Japanese horror movie The Ring.” The model shocked the audience as she walked in a dress packed with decorative elements such as pleats, frills, and combinations of different materials, giving it an unusual presence.
HAENGNAE
HAENGNAE presented its Autumn/Winter 2024 collection at Shibuya Hikarie on March 16.
The brand, created by designer Anna Choi, won the “JFW NEXT BRAND AWARD 2023 Special Jury Prize” and the “TOKYO FASHION AWARD 2024 Award” and is participating in Fashion Week for the first time.
In addition to her background as a Korean national who grew up in Japan, Choi has developed a one-of-a-kind clothing line by combining the free expression she gained in New York, Japanese craftsmanship, and European haute couture techniques into her own identity.
The show featured several voluminous dresses with many ruffles and tulle, based on Henne’s foundation colors of “strong romantic:” red for love, beige for gentleness, and black for core strength.
The dresses were edgy, layered like tiered layers, and combined with irregular textures. Although prêt-a-porter, they were filled with romantic and elegant elements that could only be reproduced in haute couture.
Choi wrote in her show notes, “I refer to the production period as “looking for love.” When I complete my work, I feel that I have found love.”
“There is value in loving and passing on the essence, having diverse ideas about race and gender, and pouring love into animals and the natural environment. These are the very ideas that I cherish in my life. It is connected to the “philosophy of love.” “In this work, I reread the story that I have cherished since Chapter.01 and searched for the love that lies at the heart of it,” she expressed her thoughts on the collection.
