Week 4 - Alvin Du

I always thought that Japan adopted classic tailor-made menswear much later on than in 1959. In my experience, I rarely see Japanese youth sporting tuxedos or suits, but rather have adopted a more street, punk rock, or industrial style. Uniqlo never seemed like an Americanized brand, but rather carried universal, minimal styles. I was surprised to learn that Japanese men's fashion magazines heavily influenced American fashion. In my eyes, American men's fashion was at the top of its game, but I was just never aware of the national aesthetic and influence of other countries. A Bathing Ape is a brand that I have always admired for their unique, statement pieces. Not only has this streetwear brand become popular in Asian pop culture, but it has definitely made its mark on Western pop culture, and many celebrities such as Kanye, Pharrell, Mos Def, M.I.A, and many more have been sporting it. Even with the variety of magazine titles in America, the seem to be very obsolete these days, and are mainly feature the latest gossip and trends. Japan's print culture is quite impressive in that the magazines feature all of the mainstream media more efficiently than what would be found on the magazine's website. I admire the fact that young Japanese designers don't want to create replicates, but rather make something new that reflects history. In this day and age, replicas of a multitude of styles can be found everywhere whether they're designer or not.

Fernandez, Chantal. “How American Style Fueled Postwar Youth Fashion in Japan.” Fashionista.