There really isn’t anywhere on earth more fashion-forward than Japan. From the maximalism of Harajuku dressing to the country’s penchant for simplistic, well-made pieces that stand the test of time, the Japanese fashion scene is as vast and versatile as it is cutting-edge. Whether layered up in sleek silhouettes during the colder months or embracing breezy, lightweight tailoring that exemplifies Japanese summer fashion, style here shifts effortlessly with the seasons.
If you’re just starting to explore the Japanese fashion landscape, we’ve put together a roadmap of some of the standout Japanese fashion brands and designers we think you should know. It’s a great starting point — especially if you’re wondering where to buy Japanese fashion that truly captures the essence of this ever-evolving scene.
Japanese luxury fashion label Sacai was established by Chitose Abe in 1999. The label’s aesthetic pathworks together sportswear and couture, juxtaposing traditional silhouettes with contemporary practices like 3D modelling. Sacai has also featured in notable collaborations with brands like Nike and Moncler.
Our list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning arguably one of the most famous Japanese fashion brands. Founded in Paris by Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons has stood the test of the time amongst critics and consumers alike, thanks to its boundary-pushing but instantly-recognisable designs.
The label has long disregarded trends and gendered clothing, opting to draw their own line between order and chaos, with a distinct brand of Japanese street fashion. In fact, CDG has become a global fashion powerhouse: the 2017 Met Gala theme was based on the brand’s legacy (the first time the museum focused on a living designer since Yves Saint Laurent in ’83).
Fumiku’s vision is an ethereal one, based on the idea of “expressing the world between real and fantasy”. Launched in 2018 by the eponymous Fumika Hayashi, thoughtfully explores the interplay between masculine and feminine shapes, championing brilliantly tactile materials that layer together to create something magic.
Akiko Aoki is one of Japanese most promising up-and-coming fashion designers. Postured by the philosophy that clothing is a a performance, Aoki deconstructs traditional womenswear to create a novel vision.
Tokyo menswear label Soshiotsuki proffers a new vision of suiting, reinventing form and function to present oversized blazers, tasseled businesswear and fur vests. There’s a studied inelegance to his collections, an undone-ness that somehow lands at a perfect symbiosis of practicality and beauty. The brand’s 2023 collections mark a decade since the brand’s namesake designer Soshi Otsuki was a nominee for the LVMH prize back in 2013.
Referencing its latest collection as a “sort of cosmic rock ‘n’ roll cowboy trapped in a cycle of Ukiyo-e wood blocks”, Kozaburo’s world of fashion is both enigmatic and alluring. Colliding time and place with a fantastical vision of Japan’s mythical past, the brand builds upon designer Kozaburo Akasaka’s upbringing amidst music subculture and street style in 90s Japan, and from his time as an undergraduate in London’s renowned fashion institution, Central Saint Martins.
If it’s a sustainable Japanese fashion brand you’re after, look no further. Established in 2011, Children of the Discordance places focus on up-cycling items from designer Hideaki Shikama’s personal archives, as well as making use of sustainable materials sourced from African Masai tribesmen and refugee textile factories in Palestine.
Shikama’s garments are unique, patchwork homages to the ways in which we might reinvent textiles, without losing the ability to be radically imaginative or deeply personal.
After cutting his teeth as an apprentice pattern-maker under the legendary Rei Kawakuboat at CDG, Junya Watanabe evolved to create his own more gritty, experimental label under the CDG House. Watanabe’s avant-garde aesthetic eschews the traditional, favouring a more exploratory and contemporary approach to design. Notable collaborations with the likes of New Balance and Carhartt have reinforced the brand as a mainstay of the Japanese fashion landscape.
Beginning as an experimental jewellery brand, AMBUSH has grown to become the forefront of luxury Japanese street fashion. Capturing a distinct, pop-art aesthetic inspired by Tokyo culture has led to commissions and projects with an impressive list of collaborators, including includes Louis Vuitton, Off-White, Bvlgari, Nike, Moet and CONVERSE. Dior’s Kim Jones even installed AMBUSH’s lead designer as head jewellery designer for Dior Men.
You can get your hands on AMBUSH’s pieces at their exclusive flagship store in Tokyo, or online.
Hysteric Glamour is a Japanese designer label created by artist Nobuhiko Kitamura in 1984, which has wended its way back into the streetstyle scene of Japan and beyond. Its bold aesthetic is credited for being rock and roll with a touch of grunge.With 51 stores in Japan in areas like Harajuku, Aoyama, Shibuya and Shinjuku still standing, international stores exist in Hong Kong, London and Paris. Hysteric Glamour is even mentioned by Gwen Stefani in her song “Harajuku Girls”. If you’re lucky, you might score an iconic piece from season’s past at one of Japan’s many vintage stores.
At the heart of AURALEE’s design ethos is simplicity, interwoven textures, and an appreciation for fine lines. Their constructions are light, airy, and ready to wear for any occasion. Here at RUSSH, we’re particularly big fans of their simple layering pieces as the ultimate Japanese winter fashion solution to the current cooler weather.
Enter Doublet: A kitschy, zany universe that pieces Japanese pop culture with the grit of streetwear styles. The eclectic ready-to-wear line features bags, hats, shoes, accessories and more. Oddity is the name of their game, but don’t get it twisted: their apparel would not look out of place on a Tokyo street.
Founded in 2016, SS Stein seamlessly blends minimalism with the avant garde. Each collection is functional yet unique, typically featuring relaxed, oversized silhouettes and tailored elements. Whether it’s the perfect slouchy pair of jeans, or a blazer that will become a wardrobe hero, SS Stein pieces are designed to be loved now and worn forever.
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