0Designer Interview : A.li.E - Unreal Reality
Nov 06 2014: To Japanese artists and designers Eri Yoshida and Ami Yamashiro, the real world feels very unreal. They express that in their beautiful creations…
5Romantic Fairy Tale Clothes in a Tokyo Park
Jun 01 2014: JAPANESE STREETS takes a look at the romantic fairytale like world of Etsuna Otsuka
Tei: Wonderful clothing
Kjeld Duits: @Lisa B.: Just checked out the trailer and read the Wikipedia entry. Looks like quite a movie.
Lisa B.: Beautiful! Kind of reminds me of the film “Picnic at Hanging Rock.”
0Reiko models APOLIA - Behind the Scenes of a Fashion Shoot
May 19 2014: Japanese fashion model Reiko Watanabe models the modern elegant kawaii creations of Japanese designer Aya Fujisaki
13I Love Tokyo Style Part 2 of 2
May 05 2014: Part 2 of over 50 photos of non-Japanese showing off their Japanese fashion styles
NeuNeu: My typo was from a texting feature on my Samsung galaxy. It filled in the word while I was typing “Japan”!
Kjeld Duits: @NeuNeu: Thank you for your kind words about JAPANESE STREETS.
Although Lolita is inspired by Victorian clothes, as you also mention, it is not the same thing. Just look at how high skirts are cut, often above the knee; the patterns; prints; colors; accessories such as rings that look like sweets. No Victorian lady could have even imagined such a look.
The same is true for other Japanese styles. They have acquired a very specific Japanese esthetic in the way that items, colors, textures and accessories are used and combined that differs sufficiently to be considered different or new. This esthetic also expresses itself in aspects such as design, cut, layering.
Often, almost every single item that many of the Japanese people I photograph wear was originally made abroad and bought in used clothing stores in Japan, yet the way they have been styled is thoroughly Japanese and clearly recognizable as such.
Additionally, some of the styles on these two pages are Western interpretations of Japanese fashion styles, so they once again acquire a Western esthetic layered on the Japanese one. Tais Mallouk’s look is an example of this. Most Japanese women would have covered those bare shoulders with a blouse, sweater, cardigan or T-shirt. There are over 40,000 photos on JAPANESE STREETS, but there is not a single one displaying that much of the upper body.
A good metaphor would be Japanese food. Ramen, Japanese Curry and Okonomiyaki are considered Japanese, yet each one was originally inspired by a foreign dish. That however, doesn’t make them any less Japanese.
Another example would be blue jeans. Neither the material nor pants themselves originated in the US. Even the words jeans and denim originate from Europe. Yet the garment as we know it today obviously embodies American esthetics and culture, and was popularized by American cultural icons such as James Dean in the 1950s.
Kjeld Duits: @shokopyon: I am sure we will do this again, shokopyon. Please follow our Facebook or Twitter pages, so you will know in time when we do!
7I Love Tokyo Style Part 1 of 2
May 04 2014: Part 1 of over 50 photos of non-Japanese showing off their Japanese fashion styles
isa: I really liked to see the outfits that were not lolita style because it’s really uncommon to see something like this here in Germany.
terciopelo: It makes me happy to see people from all around the world (and even one from my country) who dress however they want no matter where they live!
Mathilde Severinsen: I really liked Clar Panganiban from the Philippines, maybe it’s because of my love for Rilakkuma x)
8honoyo : Inspirational Stylish Fun
Apr 10 2014: Tokyo hat designer Honoyo Imai’s creations are stylish, fun, and very different…
Kjeld Duits: @Baterka: But I can understand your English. ^^
Baterka: Amazing!
I really like how looking his way. (Search for school ,changes etc)
Video was inspiring. :-) You can see that passion of creation.
She is really charming!
(Sorry for my terrible English :-))
Kjeld Duits: @Mathieu S.: Thanks, Mathieu. Yes, Honoyo is a very inspiring person. More artist than designer, I think. That attracts me to her hats even more. She gives you the opportunity to wear art in your daily life. I hope my readers will support her in a big way. Either by sharing this interview, or by purchasing one or more of her works. I really want her to succeed! She deserves it. ^^
4The dark avant-gardist romanticism of alice auaa
Jan 14 2014: JAPANESE STREETS interviews designer Yasutaka Funakoshi of alice auaa, one of Japan’s coolest underground fashion brands
Kjeld Duits: @Julia: She is one of Funakashi’s most important assistants. I actually don’t know if she has twitter…
Julia: who’s the girl with the big black hair? she wouldn’t happen to have twitter or something similar? super cool anyway.
Kjeld Duits: @Karol: Glad you like Funakoshi’s style, Karol!
6Tokyo Love Story
Dec 17 2013: The love story of two people JAPANESE STREETS has photographed since 2011
Leah B.: My heart! It just blew up! Awwwwww!
Kjeld Duits: @MEanie ME: Yes, they are. On JAPANESE STREETS everything is real, unless otherwise noted.
MEanie ME: they look cute together are they real couple? <3.<3
DESIGN FESTA - Asia's Most Exciting Art Festival - PART 2 - The People
The second part of this two part series focuses on the people at Design Festa 8 comments
DESIGN FESTA - Asia's Most Exciting Art Festival - PART 1 - The Art
The first part of this two part series focuses on the art at Design Festa 4 comments
With Love from Japan — Truly Cute Embroidered Patches
Dorothy Vacance—one of Tokyo’s hidden gems—is offering really cute embroidered patches featuring traditional images of Japan 0 comments
rooms 32 - February 2016
One of Tokyo’s most important fashion and design exhibitions, rooms, took place again this week. JAPANESE STREETS picked a few favorites 3 comments
A Look Back at Last Year's JAPANESE STREETS Photo Exhibition
Last year, Israel’s famous Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art exhibited over 100 of JAPANESE STREETS photographs 6 comments
