Fashion Tech Week Tokyo S/S 2020
Fashion Tech Week is a two-day event produced by ON-1 Tokyo, celebrating creatives in the local Tokyo community. The event showcases an array of talent: from DJs to indie fashion designers, and of course The COMM!
Our set began at 19:00 with DJ Andres Coco playing a mix of house, electronic, and grime setting the perfect tone for the night—tech with a London flair. We of course represent the global community, but we do like to tell people about where The COMM was born!
Next we had our fashion show. And make no mistake, our models came dressed to impress. Each model styled themselves, some even wearing their own designs. We wanted to represent as many different styles on the runway as last year.
Opening the show was Sierra in a head-to-toe hot pink ensemble, each piece of clothing a contrasting texture and accessorised with doll limbs and stuffed toy parts. Underwear as outerwear was a focal point to this outfit, her bra and peignoir giving a cheeky twist to the look. The final touch was a pair of Cybergoth boots (in pink of course!) to complete the coordinate.
Next came fashion student Naomi, wearing her own designs. Naomi wore a simple bralette underneath a checked yellow jacket with pink ruffles. Although usually hallmarks of softness and delicacy, Naomi’s ruffles and tulle had a surprisingly fierce impact on the runway. The look was rounded off with holographic, rainbow platform boots that gave her an extra shine on the catwalk.
PIO’s co-ord proved animal prints are a must-have in any colour. Green and purple is a colour combination you rarely see, but fashion stylist PIO knows exactly how to make it work! Her cheetah get-up was a true statement on the runway, complete with avant-garde orange makeup and mini space buns. Embellished with green tassels and a diamante green collar, the entire look screamed new wave Spice Girl.
Ao-chan, who we featured in our Slice of Life issue, exemplified Gyaru fashion. A style that is known to be sexy, loud, and always, always, always styled with big hair! Another fan of the underwear as outerwear look and animal print, Ao-chan wore a cheetah corset paired with micro denim shorts. Her giant, pink fur jacket embossed on the back with “TOKYO” in kanji was definitely the standout piece.
Up next, Haruka Kurebayashi, the reigning queen of Decora fashion! She knew how to work the runway into her signature colourful attire. If you look closely at her t-shirt—an item produced in collaboration with 6% Doki Doki’s Sebastian Masuda—you’ll find it covered in Toy Story characters. And her shoes? Kure-chan was literally walking on rainbows in her sky-high platforms! Who said fashion can’t be youthful? Kure-chan always makes sure to bring the full rainbow spectrum wherever she makes an appearance and she sure didn’t disappoint!
I was the final model on the runway in a cyber-esque outfit, wearing custom heels by shoe designer Ayato Tsumagari. The heels were designed exclusively for the show and marked the first collaborative endeavour between The COMM and Ayato. There was a long process of data research and 3D printing. The result? A pair of fun and funky Monsters, Inc./Matrix crossover shoes. I styled my runway co-ord using the heels as inspiration but made sure they remained the main focal point of the outfit. I wore matching faux fur and neoprene in pinks and blues—my trademark colour combination.
Beat The Best followed The COMM’s fashion show with a rap battle. And if you missed that there was also an exhibition by collage artist Idris Veitch, wet plate photography, and an amazing DJ set and performance by Kalin and Robin of Tokyo Love Hotels to wrap up the first night of Fashion Tech Week Tokyo. Day Two featured The COMM favourites like DJ collective Dosing and custom keyboard maestro Tokyo Keyboard Club. The next event is scheduled for March 2020, so be sure to go and support the local creative community! Follow FTW Tokyo on Instagram to keep up-to-date.
Written by Choom.
Images courtesy of Misa Kusakabe.