Can a new Tokyo fashion festival revitalise Japan’s retail industry?
To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here.
Though it may not be regarded as one of the big four fashion cities, when it comes to vibrant street style and a dynamic retail scene, Tokyo is the envy of the world. From the packed floors of Shibuya Parco, where racks of Issey Miyake float alongside Pokémon merch, to the select shops that serve the city’s bold dressers, nowhere does it like Tokyo.
The significant cultural cachet of the city is something the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is looking to capitalise on with a new annual event called Tokyo Fashion Crossing (TFC). Set to kick off every year on Culture Day — a Japanese public holiday that takes place on 3 November to promote culture and the arts — the four-day event included multi-brand runway shows, pop-up shops, talks and exhibitions across the distinct fashion hubs of Shibuya, Ginza and Marunouchi, all of which were open to the public and free to attend.
The Japanese government put up a cash injection of ¥600 million (£3.25 million) and partnered with retailers the Japan Apparel Fashion Industry Council (JAFIC) and Japan Fashion Week Organisation (JFWO) for the event, which it intends to use to generate interest in the country’s brands and get more people shopping. A total of 140 brands were showcased, from niche domestic labels including LVMH Prize winners Doublet and Tomo Koizumi, to heavyweight international brands such as J Press and the Anglobal-owned British label Margaret Howell.
“Fashion is one of Tokyo’s key strengths, so we want to raise the fashion profile of the city, and for it to follow in the footsteps of fashion capitals like Paris, Milan and London,” says Yuuki Nishijima, director for business promotion in the commerce and industry division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. “Due to Covid-19, people have been refraining from going out for an extended period, which has caused a decline in our apparel industry. Now that restrictions have finally been eased, I think it is a great opportunity for Tokyo to show off the appeal of fashion,” he says.
