In "FASHION HEADLINE," we asked journalists and buyers for their reviews of the 2013 Spring/Summer Tokyo Collection.

Our fourth guest is Higuchi Shinichi.

Respondent:
Higuchi Shinichi
Fashion journalist
Covers Paris Collection, Tokyo Collection, etc. Also photographs collections.

Q1: Which brand did you like best and why?
A:
- writtenafterwards
Because they started from scratch, with no clothes, and are trying to create something after Comme des Garçons.

- ANREALAGE
Personally, I liked their previous collections better than this one, but in terms of message, ideas, and level of completion, I still feel that they are one step ahead.

・mercibeaucoup,
Together with Ne.net and Sunao Kuwahara, they realized everything that Tokyo Fashion Week seems to be aiming for: linking creations, appealing to consumers, and actual business, in the form of the Merci Festival. The choice of venue, using Sanrio Puroland as the venue, was also good (although due to my schedule I was only able to see parts of Ne.net and Sunao Kuwahara, so I couldn't include them in my list of good brands).

・mintdesigns
They tried expressions that they wouldn't have used before, while still maintaining the signature mintdesigns style.

・SOMARTA
They had a good balance of realism and creation, and were consistent. KITAJIKO's prints were also good. Q2: Which brands are worth watching in the future and why? A: Rather than saying I like them, I find it interesting that they create the gothic lolita style that overseas people are looking for, and that it's actually popular with foreigners. I hope that Osaka designers will inspire the stagnant fashion week, just like Beauty Beast and 20471120 did in the past. Yasutoshi Ezumi I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from the newness born from Yves Klein's blue. FACETASM A collection that seemed to erase the boundaries between runway, street, and blogs, befitting Tokyo as the capital of street fashion. The presentation was also excellent. Q3: Overall impressions of this season's collections A: Regarding Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo, I was interested to see what would happen after they moved to Shibuya, but honestly I didn't notice any major changes. I understand the aim of the celebrity-based brand awareness strategy, and it's said to have been effective in terms of page views, but from my experience covering the collections on-site, I honestly feel that rather than improving, there's been an increase in variety shows, sports papers, and anonymous photographers. When it first started, it didn't seem like it was going to become the global fashion week that they were aiming for, even holding it just before New York Fashion Week. Each brand was stable to a certain extent, but it could also be seen as stagnant, and honestly, if it hadn't been for Written Afterwards on the final day, I think it would have been quite dangerous. As for Tokyo Fashion Week, Anrealage, Mint Designs, Merci Beaucoup, and Shibuya Fashion Festival all showed great collections, so it seemed like off-schedule brands were still leading the way. Q4: Thoughts on Tokyo Fashion Week A: Schedule adjustments They say there's no room for young designers at Paris Fashion Week, but in reality, it's becoming difficult to concentrate and visit at a specific time.

On the other hand, the chaos in this year's Tokyo Collection schedule isn't due to the designers' selfishness, as some have suggested, but rather to the high rental fees for the Hikarie Hall announced at the time of the call for entries, so the designers decided to just set the dates and see how things went. However, rather than deciding from scratch each time, it might be better for each brand to proceed in a more or less fixed manner, like Paris Collection, where the days and times are more or less fixed.

・Supporting young designers
Rather than renting out the venue to many young designers, it might be easier for them to participate if a small number of influential people were supported with not only the venue but also model fees. Also, rather than forcing support on Japanese designers, we should support influential foreign designers like Johan Koo.

・Transportation by Mercedes
There are no celebrities in Japan. Rather than forcing buyers and foreigners from overseas to drive, why not use it for transporting photographers?

- Regarding the use of celebrities: While using celebrities to raise awareness seems like a viable short-term solution, it may help the event become the top fashion week in Asia, but it won't be able to rival Paris, Milan, and New York. The approach is also questionable. If they want to increase page views, why not get AKB48's Mariko (Shinoda Mariko) involved in a new brand instead of just half-hearted efforts? If she writes about it on Twitter, Google+, and her blog, and if a member sits in the front row, traffic will skyrocket, and the event will likely be featured on the next day's variety shows.

Also, since there was a flood of coverage focused on Namie Amuro cutting the ribbon, media wanting to photograph the clothes were pushed to the sidelines, and many photographers left after the ribbon-cutting, it might be better to hold the opening ceremony at a different time next time.