Friday 5 November 2010

Fri 5th Nov: NYC - "Japan Fashion Now" at FIT






Its funny that I was wearing my Kimono when I went to see this exhibition "Japan Fashion Now". It is a kimono that I bought in Japan 9 years ago when I visited Tokyo to research subcultures for my dissertation. I actually travelled to Tokyo from NYC after my internship with threeASFOUR so it was all rather strange to have come full circle and be back in NYC. It was also very bizarre seeing the "Gothic Lolita" style represented in a major exhibition (the 1st of its kind) when this streetstyle was only just emerging when I discovered it in Harajuku the time I went. My voyage was to capture the "Gangaro Girls" but sadly I found that they had moved on and the new "Gothic Lolitas" had taken over. As Im all about bright colour kawaii it was disappointing but I as I had no option but to research how it had happened, it was infact fascinating! One of the main sources I referenced was Sharon Kinsella's book "Adult Manga" and she was a guest speaker taking part in the symposium with the exhibition yesterday! I think that she may also be on the events schedule for "Future Beauty" at The Barbican so have a look.
This show had a couple of gorgeous silk cartoon print silk jumpsuits by Kansai Yamamoto but photography was forbidden so I'm a little bit naughty in squeezing in these quick snaps! You'll have to try and go for yourselves to see the array of current styles from Undercover and recent history of Comme Des Garcons pieces by Junya Watanabe and a divine flesh mesh shift that conceals a 2nd pearl embroidered dress inside by Rei Kawakubo...........

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