On New Years Day, after a delicious breakfast in the CBD, my amazing man and I hit up GoMA to check out Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion.
I've been looking forward to it since I read an article way back in June outlining all the amazing Fashion Exhibitions set to hit Australia 2014 - 2015.
Future Beauty, curated by Akiko Fukai (Director of Kyoto Costume Institute) focusses on the movers and shakers that have transcended Japanese fashion onto the word stage over the past 30 years.
 |
| Watanabe AW04/05 |
Prepare to have your mind blown as you wander through the creative minds of Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, Junya Watanabe just to name a few.
The installation of the exhibition takes you through four sections of influence, travelling from the shadows and darkness, through to the concept of flatness (and construction) through to tradition and innovation with a little touch of modern quirky greatness to top it all off.
Each arena explains how the concept was formed, how it influenced the movement of fashion at the time and how the designers involved were impacted by the work they were creating, with many designers growing through certain labels and branching off to explore their own tastes and desires under their own labels.
What I love so much about Japanese fashion is that it feels as though it is more creatively free than the traditional European houses. Unlike your Balenciaga's, Dior's and Chanel's of the fashion world, the designers making waves in Japan are unbound by traditionalism. There is no need to stay within parameters and boxes to fit a particular aesthetic, the concepts can be wild and ground braking because they are so focused on becoming different to what the world has previously expected.
Most memorably for me this can be demonstrated in pieces such as the honeycomb garments by Hiroaki Ohya, created with paper
 |
| Ohya SS00 |
and the piece by Koji Tatsuno created with materials that are traditionally used for millinery.
 |
| Tatsuno AW93/94 |
This is not to say that Japanese fashion isn't still influenced by its rich history, but that it is adapted to fit a modern scene, as demonstrated in this beautiful dress by Yohji Yamamoto, featuring a traditional chrysanthemum motif.
 |
| Yamamoto SS95 |
Whether you are a lover of simplistic modernism, innovative technologically advanced fashion, Kawaii fashion or you are just looking to see something new and exciting, get yourself down to GoMA and check out Future Beauty. It is like a shot of Saki for your senses.
Drink it all in!
 |
| Junya Watanabe AW09/10 |
