Japonism: Japanese fashion: lace underwear, masculine

Anyone who looks around Japanese streets these days will see more foreign faces than ever before. The number of visitors from overseas is currently reaching record levels. More and more young people in particular are coming to Japan from China, South Korea and also Western countries. It probably helps that the Japanese currency, the yen, is currently historically weak. This creates a unique opportunity for global Generation Z: shopping in Tokyo at affordable prices.

And that’s a dream come true, especially for fashion-conscious people. Japanese designers and brands have been experiencing a boom for several years: stylistic developments from the East Asian country are not only popular in catwalk fashion – where the former rock star Yoshiki Hayashi amazed Milan Fashion Week in February with his line inspired by kimonos and punk . Something similar can be seen with various brands in all possible segments.

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Probably the most popular manufacturer outside of haute couture is the Uniqlo brand, which has been booming worldwide for years. On closer inspection, its success seems paradoxical: Those responsible emphasize that Uniqlo is not a brand at all – as a rule, no logo can be seen on clothing items. In Japan itself, Uniqlo is also highly successful, but is not really considered fashionable, more of a stylish staple that can highlight other items of clothing.

But young Europeans have been raving about Uniqlo for years as a cheap, laconic and versatile brand. Typically Japanese, many would add. This is what is noticeable about successful brands from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other cities in Japan: they often emphasize simplicity, often in pastel tones and monochrome designs. Hardly anything that comes from Japan is visually overloaded. And everyone seems to like that.

At the beginning of the year, the German lifestyle magazine “GQ” published a large overview of Japanese brands that you should not only know, but also have in your wardrobe. Japanese designs were characterized by functionality, minimalism, but also high quality. Traditionally artistic patterns or origami folded looks – such as that of Issey Miyake – are now juxtaposed with a street-friendly military look that can be seen at WTAPS.

The rise of Japanese fashion parallels the growing popularity of Japanese aesthetics in general. The number of travelers from Europe heading to Japan has tripled since 2011 and is rising. After the trip, people always rave about the elegant appearance of so many people in Japan, but also about the orderly city planning, simple interior design, thoughtful arrangement of dishes and the harmonious atmosphere of social life in general.

It almost seems as if the world is currently experiencing a new era of Japonism. Under this slogan, Japan’s culture – from fine art to everyday aesthetics – became popular among the European bourgeoisie from the middle of the 19th century. Europe’s female artists, from Vincent van Gogh to Gustav Klimt, discovered the ukiyo-e paintings of Katsushika Hokusai, the woodblock prints of Utagawa Hiroshige and Zen Buddhism. It was a time when Europe was fascinated by the East and at the same time Japan was opening up to the West.

It’s a bit similar today. Because Japanese fashion is hardly self-centered. The often foreign brand names of successful designers are proof of this. The name Bape – a rather expensive brand inspired by hip-hop fashion – abbreviates “Bathing Ape” and refers to monkeys who bathe in lukewarm water, feeling comfortable with themselves. The name is a reference to Bape’s wealthy clientele. They include hip-hoppers Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams.

Another example is the Comme des Garçons brand, founded in 1969. Taken from French, the name means “like boys” and contains an obvious criticism of politics and gender relations: Comme des Garçons stands out for its not very figure-hugging clothing for women, like that for boys. In everyday Japanese office life, however, women are often expected to wear heels, skirts and tights. Comme des Garçons was pioneering in that the house’s fashion did not appear overtly feminine. Today there are Comme des Garçons stores worldwide; founder and chief designer Rei Kawakubo is an icon.

Another Japanese company recently positioned itself for the role of pioneer: the underwear manufacturer Wacoal, which is now also playing with gender roles. Until now, the company has been known for designing particularly feminine underwear, in white or pink and with lots of lace. This is still the case – but the group has also been targeting men since 2021.

And the top underwear for men – which is advertised, among other things, by saying that it is not only “genderless”, but also feels particularly comfortable and light in Japan’s hot summers, so that you hardly sweat – has already proven to be a bestseller. Production has expanded, although so far only in Japan. It remains to be seen whether the East Asian country will soon become an international trendsetter in this field as well.

The rise of many Japanese brands may also have something to do with the efforts of the state. A good ten years ago, Japan’s government set out to promote various cultural products from Japan worldwide under the banner “Cool Japan”. Tax money was spent, among other things, on promoting Japan’s creative industries – from anime and manga to traditional crafts – worldwide.

The campaign took inspiration from Great Britain, where the term “Cool Britannia” had become a media phenomenon in the 1990s: Britpop, British fashion and British art were in vogue worldwide. Japan wanted that too, the state got involved. Subordinate to the prime minister, bureaucrats continue to promote Japanese brands with tax incentives and PR events. The newspaper “Japan Times” declared “Cool Japan” 2021 a success.

So successful that in the West, as in the times of Japonisme, people are trying to make allusions to Japanese. In 2019, social media star Kim Kardashian introduced an underwear line called “Kimono,” a play on words between Kardashian’s first name and the traditional Japanese robe. But what may have been considered original internationally was not well received in Japan. Not just because the underwear had little to do with a kimono. Accusations of cultural appropriation arose.

Tweets became popular on Twitter that complained, for example: “Please don’t steal our culture!” Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa – in whose city kimonos are particularly popular – asked Kardashian in an open letter to change the name of her clothing line. The topic became so hot globally that Kardashian gave in and renamed her brand “Skims.” Japan may be a cosmopolitan country that has long since globalized. But nationalism still exists there, including in fashion.