People know Japan by many names and tags. Some know it as ‘The Land of the Rising Sun’, a geographical tag that was given to the country for being the first country to see the sun rise. Many also know Japan as the personification of history, culture, heritage and tradition. Japan is also considered as the technology hub or the technology capital of the world. But besides all of this, people often miss out on the world of Fashion in Japan.
Not many people know this but Japan is not influenced by western trends, in fact, it is the other round. Most of the fashion trends first start in Japan and then is spread across the world. The fashion capitals of the world, Milan, Paris and New York are deeply influenced by Japanese styles and fashion trends. Many European and American fashion designers launch their collections basing it completely on Japan trends.
One huge example of how Japanese fashion trends influence world fashion is camouflage motifs. These motifs first started in Ura-hara before it travelled all over the world. Japanese fashion might not be as famous as European fashion but some of the big names in global fashion are highly influenced by trends set in Japan or even the essence of Japan. One of the most unique Japanese fashion trends that struck UK was a Japanese undergarment called fundoshi. Sharefun released underwear like Japanese Fundoshi in the UK. Many in the UK have tried out the product and found it to be extremely comfortable. The linen that these undergarments are made of is snug and keeps you at ease at all times.
The national outfit of Japan, the Kimono, has also inspired many fashion designers to make shirts, blouses and tops in the same design. Big names in the fashion world like Christian Dior and many more have been inspired by many Japanese fashion trends like the Samurai ensemble. Why even bags have been designed by using the Japanese hair knot style. The main fashion revolution in Japan started in the 80’s. Stalwarts in the world of Japanese fashion, like Issey Miyake, Comme de Garcons and Kohji Kamamoto, brought about the first changes. That revolution was later continued by brands like Kenz, Uniqlo and Muji. Many ‘western’ designers go to Japan to draw inspiration for their new collections. Therefore, western fashion has been heavily influenced by Japanese art and culture.
