east in the east

please be considerate of others.

can't you tell i love everything about this poster?

i wish these were everywhere in my current part of the planet...

anyway, i happened to be in 東京 during Japan Fashion Week. by some ridiculous measure of a rather new friend's generosity, i managed to catch a few shows while i was there!! Vivienne Tam was the featured international designer this season, and it proved to be quite the experience.

「　SAVELOVEGIVE　」

from the entrance to the interior, everything was quite aptly drenched in red light. Vivienne Tam's signature is an often seamless play between modernity and antiquity as reflected in her Chinese sensibilities. everything was impressively cohesive; from the projected graphics on loop to the music choices and lighting.

sidenote: plenty of beautiful fashion kids who take selfies that of course turn out gorgeous because they are gorgeous people. the variation in conversation leaves plenty to be desired, but the anxious maelstrom churning inside my chest cavity at the time calmed a bit when my ears picked up on conversations taking place in a colloquial mix of English and 日本語。

the audience absolutely lost it at the sight of 冨永 愛 「Tominaga Ai」- who is arguably the most famous supermodel export out of Japan, and with good reason. she is neither of flirty winks and cheeky grins akin to Victoria's Secret Angels. instead, her aura is strong, silent and incredibly cool. メッチャカッコイインだ。

the show opened with purposefully worked, feminine sportswear. the palette was an exercise in restraint, in shades of rich scarlet and tangerine accented with sharp black and white. abstract, marble-like prints appeared to originate from Vivienne's own handwriting. the pieces were easy to love - an easy balance of clean, tailored lines, print, and chic proportions. 

the collection took a decidedly almost military turn; the prints faded away to black, displaying only the sumptuousness of the fabrics and ease of tailoring. stunning, painstakingly handcrafted pieces des resistance finished up the show. displaying a mastery of fabric combination, cutouts (that seem to originate from Chinese characters) as well as tailoring, the stark contrast of red, black and white only serve as emphasis. 

overall, however, the collection was held together with a very chic punk feeling. the models strut down the U-turn runway with quiet confidence that radiated with even quieter rebellion. the clothes, however ladylike they felt, did not ever fall into saccharine. the shapes helped to reflect this balance of opposites, calling on traditional pencil silhouettes juxtaposed against oversized outerwear which would look far more at home on the streets than in a fine restaurant.

おめでとう、Vivienneさん！このコレクッションはほんとうにきれいだ。