>> On my hopefully pending trip to Tokyo, I'm making it a self-assigned journalistic task to try and find out why is it that so many of the Japanese labels (including the 'big' ones that I know of, exempting the smaller ones that I'm sure would also blow my mind…) hardly make it over to Europe-bound stockists… or more specifically and selfishly London. It's a connecting question to why certain brands have different Japan/Europe/USA regional stock variations. Perhaps I'll get a big fat inconclusive in-need-of-translation mess but seeing as I have thus far loved the process of commissioning myself (when you think of bloggers in that way, I suddenly see "Saddo" branded across my forehead…), it's still an issue I'd love to get my investigative teeth stuck into.
In the meantime though, I'm consoling myself with the beginning inklings of e-stores such as Koshka. Based in Berlin, they aspire to "an aesthetic that encompasses both the calm and pure beauty of Japanese pottery and the jittering neon of contemporary Asian metropolis." Err… which perhaps is an English statment lost in translation as I'm not sure if Japanese fashion should even be let loose near those seemingly naive cliches. Still, the intentions are clear as they are now stocking Tsumori Chisato which is a good enough reason for me to give it a thumbs up seeing as Chisato UK-available stockists are literally a handful. Farfetch have a few pieces and now Koshka adds more to that pool…
Of course life would be a happier one with plait/rope suspender cloud wooley tights… I know tights aren't meant to be trews but perhaps an exception needs to be made when clouds and plaits and 100% opaqueness are involved…
Sticking to the hoisery category, Koshka also stock Ayame socks, made in the old city of Nara where Japanese artisan techniques and fabrications are applied to designs that are anything but 'old'… the sock drawer refuses to be shrunk and is actually the one category of wardrobe which I didn't reduce in my big clear out…
Through Koshka, I've also learnt that Hall Ohara a design duo I knew from their London-Tokyo love story, have renamed their label as In Process.
Shida Tatsuya's website is pretty scant with information or images but all I need to know is that I'm willing to restrict arm movement for this cracked metallic effect woolen mishapen cape that is THE chunky cocoon to fight of all the other chunky cocoons that are out in force for this winter…
31 comments
phil
2010-08-31 at 12:28 AMwhatchu mean “hopefully”???
Gon
2010-08-31 at 12:40 AMUuuh ! It all looks really fun! Speacially the leggings and the trousers on the second photo from the bottom!
xx,
Dimogonda blog
Brigadeiro
2010-08-31 at 1:34 AMLusting after all these pieces, especially that wool cape!
xx
Waxlyricalfashion.blogspot.com
2010-08-31 at 1:40 AMOooh, those printed In Process trousers and the Shida Tatsuya cape are both stunning!
xxxx
silvia siantar
2010-08-31 at 4:39 AMi wish i could pull off printed trousers. this one looks perfect. i wish i am as playful as you when it comes to dressing up!:)
cheers.
http://www.poisepolish.com
janet
2010-08-31 at 4:59 AMthat printed pants are great!
Sophia
2010-08-31 at 7:05 AMI want those chainmail trousers so badly!! I just checked out the store. Amazing stuff!! Is this only online or can you actually go to a store because then it would be just around the corner from me!! With so many Japanese people living in Düsseldorf that should prove to be a gold mine in terms of things being stocked for those residents? Mmh, I should research that! <3
skiepies.blogspot.com/
Nolita
2010-08-31 at 7:06 AMThe stockings and tights look awesome!
http://www.nolitavintage.com
maria
2010-08-31 at 7:51 AMthis is terry!!!
this is her wbsite: http://ohleoluca.tumblr.com
vasilieva
2010-08-31 at 8:00 AMi like the looks, there is a great variety of colours and all the designs are so modern and so today. and that woollen metallic cape is absolutely stunning. loved it
vasilieva
http://elenavasilieva.blogspot.com/
xx
pink
2010-08-31 at 8:52 AMwohooo!!! love them all:-) extremely COOL!!!
check out my fashion blog at thetalesofselfindulgence.blogspot.com!!!
and follow it at blog lovin:-)
istarblog
2010-08-31 at 9:14 AMwow love all of these
finks
2010-08-31 at 9:15 AMstunning post..love those dress too
asocdgarchive
2010-08-31 at 9:22 AMWhen you take this hopefully pending trip to Tokyo, will you need a translator?
We’re totally here for you if you do.
Mariel
2010-08-31 at 11:39 AMStunning pieces, those printed trousers are amazing!
When are you heading out to Japan?
Teawithonesugarplease
2010-08-31 at 12:04 PMYou going with empty suitcases to Japan I hope??
Leonidas
2010-08-31 at 12:12 PMlove everything
http://thestyleparticle.blogspot.com
Fashionistable
2010-08-31 at 12:58 PMGood luck on your quest. If there was a petition to sign I would be right there with you. I would also love to see many more and easily available Japanese designers here too. Xxxx
FashionLifeCoach
2010-08-31 at 1:09 PMThere are so many styles I just want to get them in my bag.My favorite is for sure the nude colored shirt-dress.A piece to fell in love.
Penny Dreadful Vintage
2010-08-31 at 1:22 PMI find it strange that more Japanese designers aren’t available in the UK, as I think our aesthetics are often very close. Good to know that Tsumori Chisato is being stocked in another store, I wrote about her recently and was really surprised by how unavailable her clothes are here.
http://pennydreadfulvintage.blogspot.com/
lyrebirdgully
2010-08-31 at 2:37 PMI know I shouldn’t even give those suspender tights a second thought (repeats mantra to self, “tights_are_not_pants”)but I can’t help loving them all the same. I just have to work out how to wear them..
Kellebelle
2010-08-31 at 2:54 PMWow they’re all amazing. Would definitely wear all the above. Now… I just need to save to go to Japan *swoon*
I wish – Amazo food and clothes!
x
http://kellebelle.wordpress.com/
Olive
2010-09-01 at 4:34 AMI have seen her from lookbook! She has amazing style and update her store regularly. I can’t believe you wrote about her, it such a long time that i found her and i forgot to save her link. i relly like this post! 🙂
Becca
2010-09-01 at 5:02 AMThe socks are my favourite
Julie-Ann
2010-09-01 at 11:12 AMLived in Japan for 4 years, you’ll love the variety, but will not like the time you won’t have to look at everything. Tsumori Chisato is one of my fav. Japanese brands, you won’t need to look very hard..look in Parco or department stores, it’s in the mainstream so..Have fun
http://www.modearchives.blogspot.com
Kaite
2010-09-02 at 4:45 PMI have to let you know that reading your lovely lovely blog inspires in me clothing lust. Right now I’m suffering from it because of those chain printed pants and that fuzzy, wooly cape. (For some reason I find that I like descriptive words about clothing a lot. Especially ‘fuzzy’, ‘wooly’, and/or ‘nubby’.) XD
LeanSpa Acai
2010-09-04 at 12:55 PMAmazing!! she is looking so gorgeous that I fell in love with her.
Spjork
2010-09-08 at 9:37 PMOne reason Japanese brands aren’t prolific in the uk is that the cost price of units are prohibitively expensive (especially so because of the exchange rate from yen to sterling). This is before distribution costs such as freight for stock, nevermind showroom samples, customs duties, VAT, administration, and agent commissions are factored in. The final retail prices ends up being much more than what the market can bear if the standard trade markup of 2.3-2.5 is applied. There are always exceptions to the rule, such as the cult brands visvim, neighborhood, Yamamoto but they have spent years cultivating brand awareness and a very specific following that is willing to pay over the odds.
leanspa
2010-11-22 at 11:25 AMYeah!! she has really stolen my heart.
true religion jeans
2011-03-22 at 11:03 AMIt’s a shame that very little empirical evidence is known on this question. I’ve been working on some experiments, but need to finish up those working papers with the results.
canvas art
2011-11-25 at 10:24 AMReally great post, thanks so much for sharing this with us! Love the outfits.