While there is certainly no dearth of the Harajuku Girls and the Fairy Kei spilling over in Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku, Japanese fashion has emerged as more than the sum of its over the top street style and costume-y presence. Designers like Porte Mode's very own Yasutoshi Ezumi & Somarta have shown a more restrained, refined and structured approach all the while representing what is the unique je ne sais quoi of Japanese fashion that has enthralled the world for decades.
Japan's culture and history are rich with symbolism and references that create a sea of unlimited inspiration for their uber talented designers. Whether its Ezumi's concept of combining elements in order to reconstruct and create something completely new with broad references to Japan's past, or Somarta's designing finesse displayed in its latest collection in what the Japan Times called "a museum gallery setting befitting of the designer’s technical couture oeuvre".
Other designers such as Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi’s Matohu are more overt in their incorporation of Japanese traditionalism and artisanship while Jotaro Saito's recent collection prominently displayed a modern version of the kimono - a bold reference to Japan's long standing national treasure.
Japanese fashion has evolved over the years into more than just the sensationalism of its street style - it's about time the world stopped and took notice.