07 Jan The Best Fashion Brands Coming out of Japan

If you are familiar with the world of fashion, then you know that majority of our top designer brands got their start in none other than Tokyo, Japan. It’s no secret that Japan has always had their creative side that stretches across multiple industries but has had the biggest impact on the fashion industry. Not only have Japanese designers been able to adapt and manipulate trends from around the world, but they do so with style and flare, giving each piece its own unique story. In other words, they really know how to take a popular trend and add in the cool factor.

This has led Tokyo to produce some of the most loved and sought after fashion brands in the world today. While many of these brands have been essentially unknown in the West for some time, they now dominate the high fashion industry with the biggest impact being on the streetwear industry. With the sharp rise of the streetwear scene starting in the early 2000’s, this gave room for more designers to get creative with their grunge look and even incorporate some unconventional aspects such as athleisurewear and even professional wear.

In fact, much of our streetwear scene is being heavily influenced by Tokyo’s Harajuku district. The Harajuku district, located on the backroads of Tokyo, first became a retailer’s hot spot for the affordable leasing options and convenient location. Now, Harajuku leads worldwide trends with creative, and even sometimes outlandish, styles that are way ahead of their time. But thanks to its quirky and eclectic nature, Harajuku is now home to some of the biggest brands in fashion, with more being added every year.

Japan has given the world many brands that we have come to know and love including UNDERCOVER, COMME des GARÇONS, A Bathing Ape, and even NEIGHBORHOOD, all with a unique story leaving their mark on the fashion industry forever. From high end designer fashion to grungy streetwear apparel, each brand has played a role in deconstructing fashion and reimagining everyday pieces.

Japanese street fashion pushes the limits of what’s possible for fashion to create new contemporary, modern apparel for everyone. Designed from a mix of both local influence and foreign fashion brands, Tokyo tends to illuminate their own distinctive style considered to be avant-garde, or experimental, with similarities to haute couture seen on the European runways. Thanks to designers like Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER and Rei Kawakubo of COMME des GARÇONS, Japanese fashion brands now dominate the industry with their bold designs and innovative creativity.