NIKKEI Asian Review ㄧ #wisdom Shows and tourists alike bring Asian styles across borders TOKYO -- Asian fashionistas no longer look to the hoi polloi of Paris, New York, London and Milan NIKKEI Asian Review 日經雜誌， 主要針對亞洲各地區不同層面作經濟分析， 在新的一期中也針對了亞洲新興時裝勢力深入報導， 在今年 roomsLINK TOKYO 的秀上首次專訪－ Creative Taiwan 以及 wisdom 這幾年的創作歷程，顯然他們的成果在國際間漸漸受到矚目。 Taiwan wisdom Back in Tokyo, a Japan Fashion Week adviser also set up one of the events side attractions, roomsLINK. Feeling that Tokyo should make stronger connections with other parts of Asia, Tomonori Matsui started the project to help globalize fresh Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese fashion brands. He even plans to bring a roomsLINK event to Bangkok. Japan is a small country, Matsui said, which has lent itself to developing a special culture. We have a concentration of brands and shops that cant be found in any other country. There is so much talk about becoming more international, but first we should be considering how we can draw on the uniqueness of our own culture. Matsuis roomsLINK works with partners from other countries. So part of the March event was given over to Creative Taiwan, which itself got financing from the Taipei government. Xie Pei Ru, a fashion marketing officer at Taiwan Textile Federations, says, Japan is one of the target markets for Creative Taiwans collection. It is supported by our governments Ministry of Economic Affairs. In other words, it is a national project. The goal of Creative Taiwan is to take Taiwanese fashion houses to a global audience -- and to maybe inject a more international flavor into domestic fashion magazines. The Tokyo show turned the spotlight on 12 Taiwanese designers. Their energy and enthusiasm were palpable, not least because they were in Tokyo with support from the government and industrial organizations. One Taiwanese label that stood out was Wisdom, created by designer Hans Chyi. Wisdoms line at the show embodied the theme Urban Outdoor. It was a collection of clothing with outdoor functionality that can also be worn in the office. Chyi has shown his clothes in Tokyo before. The first time, I was more nervous than excited, he said. I didnt even have any experience displaying any of my collections in Taiwan. So everything was new to me. I was worried about what everyone would think. But that experience taught me how to grow. Ive learned to move forward by showing my best and accepting the reactions. Business possibilities Last fall in Taipei, said Tsui Wen Chien, editor in chief of MA magazine, Taiwans newest fashion journal, Japanese chain shops like Beams and United Arrows started to arrive, changing little by little Taiwans traditional fashion scene, which had been all about Korean brands. That is, people are starting to look for their own original, unique fashion sense. Something that is different from what is in magazines or from collections that department stores have put together. Like we noticed in the Sretsis anecdote, it is not only fashion shows helping designers gain notice. Tourism and word of mouth are also bestowing recognition on fresh brands and even allowing them to expand outside of their home countries. As the regions middle classes grow and more Asian tourists circulate around their continent, they will likely spark even more interest and investment in fashion. And as the industry becomes more competitive, partnerships will form. Designers with exciting threads will need developers with cool digs. Corporations that have experience taking chains global will buy into the scene. The Great Asia Fashion Market is about to open. Get those credit cards ready.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 09:25:03 +0000