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Before I bombard you with all the fashion treasures I uncovered in Reykjavik, I thought I'd share a post that's so long overdue, I wasn't sure if I should still bother blogging about it. But since this was one of the best fashion exhibitions I've seen to date and the subject matter is quite timeless, I thought it might be worth sharing. The 'Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion' exhibition, which most Londoners may be familiar with, was hosted by the Barbican Art Gallery and showcased avant-garde Japanese fashion from the early 80s to now. Along with visionaries such as Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, who challenged the Western fashion aesthetic and redefined it for the world, the new generation of designers such as Tao Kurihara and Mintdesigns is featured as well.
As the first gallery in Europe to extensively highlight contemporary Japanese fashion, I thought that both the Barbican and Japanese fashion historian/curator Akiko Fukai did an excellent job. What I enjoyed most (apart from the clothing) was the layout, which not only saw the numerous pieces divided and grouped in a large space surrounded by sheer fabric draped from the ceiling, but also followed an order that for once wasn't chronological. The ground floor had a thematic approach, with four categories that included 'In Praise of Shadows', 'Flatness', 'Innovation and Tradition' as well as 'Cool Japan'. The top floor presented the main Japanese designers separately and also featured additional material such as runway videos, inspirational literature and other memorabilia.
For anyone who wasn't able to attend the exhibition (which unfortunately is no longer running), I'd highly recommend getting the official book by Akiko Fukai, which can be purchased via Amazon here (and it's even on sale!). It follows the basic structure of the exhibition, but includes plenty more background information and photography. Definitely a must-read for any fashion lover.
Below you'll find a few highlights from the exhibit (and book), categorized as described above. Don't forget to click the link, to read more after the jump.
As the first gallery in Europe to extensively highlight contemporary Japanese fashion, I thought that both the Barbican and Japanese fashion historian/curator Akiko Fukai did an excellent job. What I enjoyed most (apart from the clothing) was the layout, which not only saw the numerous pieces divided and grouped in a large space surrounded by sheer fabric draped from the ceiling, but also followed an order that for once wasn't chronological. The ground floor had a thematic approach, with four categories that included 'In Praise of Shadows', 'Flatness', 'Innovation and Tradition' as well as 'Cool Japan'. The top floor presented the main Japanese designers separately and also featured additional material such as runway videos, inspirational literature and other memorabilia.
For anyone who wasn't able to attend the exhibition (which unfortunately is no longer running), I'd highly recommend getting the official book by Akiko Fukai, which can be purchased via Amazon here (and it's even on sale!). It follows the basic structure of the exhibition, but includes plenty more background information and photography. Definitely a must-read for any fashion lover.
Below you'll find a few highlights from the exhibit (and book), categorized as described above. Don't forget to click the link, to read more after the jump.
In Praise of Shadows
This section reveals the love for monochromatic shades adopted by Japanese designers, which allow a focus on details and textures, rather than color. According to Fukai, the color palette stems from the cultural sensibility attuned to light and shade, as well as the power of black.
Pieces by Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Jun Takahashi.
More black artworks by Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto.This category showcased the love and contrast of both flatness and volume. During a time when Western fashion was dominated by bodycon garments, the Japanese were fascinated by creating space between fabric and body - an expression of 'ma', a Japanese concept that views voids between objects as rich, energized spaces. Commissioned by Rei Kawakubo, photographer Naoya Hatakeyama's works reveal the geometric shapes and 'flatness' of Kawakubo's garments when unworn.
Issey Miyake's famous Pleats series created extraordinary outlines which had an abstract relationship with the body.
Rei Kawakubo's voluminous gowns in contrast with their 'flatness' (courtesy of Naoya Hatakeyama) when unworn.Modern Japanese design also saw the complete reinvention of traditional garments and techniques, such as the kimono and origami, as well as the integration of traditional patterns in contemporary pieces.
These incredible Issey Miyake pieces showed how garments were created from just one piece of long fabric.
The use of structural origami inspired techniques as used by Yohji Yamamoto (top left), Junya Watanabe (lower row) and the beautiful gold dress by Koji Tatsuno.
Rei Kawakubo's use of Japanese iconography, embroidery and layering for Comme des Garçons.
Traditional patterns and structures reinvented by (starting left) Kenzo, Matohu, Yohji Yamamoto and Tao Kurihara.The final section on the lower level presented the young wave of designers influenced primarily by Japanese streetstyle and the crop of independent labels that defined the look in the Harajuku area. In addition to the use of manga and cartoon characters, the showcase lightly touches on the cosplay (costume play) phenomenon, as well as the Lolita and Gothic Lolita styles which have made their mark on Japanese high fashion.
This colorful area featured manga and other cartoon inspired designs. Pieces by Ohya, Zucca and Junya Watanabe.
Looks by Jun Takahashi for Undercover (top). A playful dress with a 'doll' collar by Fumito Ganryu (lower left) and a frilly number by Tao Kurihara for Tao Comme des Garçons.The second part of the exhibition, which focuses on individual designers (including Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe and more), can be viewed after the jump.
