Japanese Influence Streetwear is something that has seen many phases and trends come and go, but who are the real innovators of it and who made it what it is today? A lot streetwear is inspired by people and faces, oppose to just general trends and I’ve picked out a couple of people that I think have been crucial in the forming and growth of streetwear in the past 40 years. We’ve spoken about Fujiwara before, but I think he needs mentioning again, but I’m also adding Nigo and Jun Takahashi to this section as they had an influence that intertwined a lot through brands like Undercover, Fragment and Bape, but also through the Ura-Harajuku movement that I’ve mentioned before. These three designers were the sort of leaders from the late 80’s in to the 90’s of Japanese streetwear, using the American model of mixing fashion, music and film cultures altogether to create a new movement, for example, Nigo based his Bape logo on the 1960’s American ‘Planet of the Apes’ film. They all met through Bunka Fashion college, and this is where their influence began in terms of working together on a plethora of projects and brands, building up what was to be the core of Japanese streetwear for the coming years. With the help of Fujiwara, who had mentored and supported Nigo and Takahashi, they opened up Nowhere in 1993, a boutique in the heart of Harajuku that was the birth place of Bape and Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER. These brands were built off rarity and the idea that the production never matched the demand, going along the idea that just because you want it, doesn’t mean you should have it.
This image was taken from Verdy’s instagram, with in order of left to right, Jun Takahashi, Verdy and Nigo. Debuting a collection inspired by Fujiwara.
