Japanese fashion: 5 brands leading the way

Japan’s fashion industry is at an inflection point. A few brands dominate the global collective consciousness as to what constitutes Japanese design. Some, like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake have done so for many decades, while others, like Jun Takahashi’s Undercover and Chitose Abe’s Sacai, are poised to pick up the mantle. Newer brands like minimally-minded Auralee have recently broken through internationally by showing in Europe, but many other innovative designers remain virtually unknown to the media and buyers beyond their home shores. While some generate impressive revenue domestically, they haven’t yet captured global attention, others are seeking to capitalise on the buzz of recent prize wins. As Tokyo Fashion Week launches its Fall/Winter 2025 season, Jing Daily spotlights five Japanese brands poised for international recognition. Ssstein Founded by Kiichiro Asakawa in 2016 Ssstein is the brainchild of Kiichiro Asakawa, a designer and buyer who runs his own store, Carol, on a quiet residential street in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Stein is often compared to The Row for its similarities in silhouette and palette to the American brand, but such comparisons ignore Asakawa’s proclivity for pattern-cutting and fabrication, the detail-oriented nature of which have won him a laundry list of global stockists from Sweden to Australia, as well as this year’s Fashion Prize of Tokyo. His keen buyer’s eye also means that his designs are eminently wearable (and sellable), making Stein particularly popular on Instagram. Showing for the first time in Paris (off-schedule) at the men’s shows in January this year, Stein’s next goal is global domination. Pillings Founded by Ryota Murakami in 2014 (he rebranded from his own name to Pillings in 2020) Ryota Murakami’s offbeat knitwear brand is one of the most charming and unique emerging labels in Tokyo, but was struggling financially until Sazaby League — a Japanese fashion company that operates Ron Herman’s stores in Japan — stepped in in 2023. With this backing, including public relations and manufacturing assistance, Murakami has upgraded both his speed of production and the complexity of his knitting techniques, which has won him a place in this year’s LVMH semi-final. He hopes to preserve and stimulate Japan’s handknitting industry — the label of every Pillings knit is printed with the name of the knitter who made it. Fetico Founded by Emi Funayama in 2020 Sexy, revealing womenswear is not the norm in Japan — which is where Fetico’s Emi Funayama spotted a niche in the market. Her sensual wardrobe staples are pushing the envelope, providing Japanese women with a way to wear sexy clothing that still feels dignified and in-tune with cultural fashion norms, which largely lean conservative and demure. Though Fetico has enjoyed roaring success in Japan since its inception only five years ago and has built a seven-figure business here, Funayama’s next goal is to attract Western buyers and move into foreign markets. Whether her unique brand of Japanese sensuality can translate abroad remains to be seen, but she is making some progress: Fetico is now stocked at Curve, a pioneering boutique in Los Angeles. Funayama is married to Shotaro Yamaguchi, a prominent Japanese stylist who lends his hand to her highly-anticipated runway shows, which are uniformly well-received by the press. Soshiotsuki Founded by Soshi Otsuki in 2015 Like Murakami, Soshi Otsuki is a graduate of Coconogacco, an experimental design school that consistently produces many of Japan’s most exciting domestic talents. Otsuki’s recent collections, inspired by Armani tailoring from the 1980s, have enjoyed viral success on Instagram — one of his suits was even worn by A$AP Rocky on the cover of The Travel Almanac last year. Unlike many Japanese brands which thrive in the domestic market but struggle to break out abroad, Otsuki is a case study is how to do it well — after the viral success and the A$AP Rocky co-sign, his DTC e-comm sales sky-rocketed, with 98% of orders coming from the U.S. A place in this year’s LVMH Prize semi-finals has propelled Otsuki’s star further — he looks set to be a defining force in the next era of Japanese menswear. Khoki Founded by Koki Abe and his anonymous design collective in 2019 Conceived by a group of millennial designers who keep their identities private, Khoki is a fashion collective defined by a childlike sense of fantasy mixed with a mastery of craft that its members learned while working under Japan’s most respected designers. Stocked at Dover Street Market Paris and popular among Japanese menswear insiders including Motofumi “Poggy” Kogi and Ryo Takashima, Khoki was shortlisted for last year’s LVMH Prize (for which founder Koki Abe was required to reveal his name). Still, the collective believes that good clothes don’t need to come from designers in the spotlight, and their anonymity adds to the intrigue. Featuring whimsical embroidery and unexpected mixups of fabrics (think a flannel shirt spliced with lace), its unique ideas are matched only by its accomplished pattern making — the brand also makes some of the best contemporary tailoring in Japan.

Japanese fashion: 5 brands leading the way

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Published March 18, 2025

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Japanese fashion: 5 brands leading the way