Seasonal Overview 2023 A/W

TKY FW 2023 A/W We might posit fashion as a verb, meaning: to don the spirit of the times. As wearers, we viscerally inhabit a mercurial moment, as envisioned by designers—those rare creatures who acutely read the nuances of the culture and translate the zeitgeist into the singular yet universally utilitarian language of design. At Technoculture Oligo Press (TCOP), we aim to shine a spotlight on those true designers active in our home in Tokyo.

On March 13th, 2023, the curtain rose on Tokyo Fashion Week—coincidentally the same day Japan lifted its recommendation to wear face masks in an easing of Covid-19 countermeasures. Nearly 60 brands descended on Tokyo, presenting their A/W 2023 collections with a hectic schedule of shows and events in front of audiences who buzzed with the seeming return to the capital’s pre-pandemic bustle.

Having maintained a degree of “social distance” from Tokyo Fashion Week in recent years, I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how much Tokyo’s designers had grown over the interim. Past shows struck me as steeped in superficial shock value with overly designed collections in childish provocation at the expense of function. By contrast, this year saw many mature pieces capable of countervailing Western fashion conventions with a long-awaited sensitivity to Japanese aesthetics.

It’s often said that Japan excels at repackaging disparate cultural cues into something new. At a certain point in time, this trope aptly encapsulated the energy of the Tokyo brands that voraciously and freely drew on diverse references to express an original viewpoint unbound by Western norms, with a momentum one prominent fashion journalist memorably described as a “breakneck sprint.” Following this mad dash across eras and culture, it seems Tokyo fashion has at last found its stride and opened a new chapter grounded in a more refined, measured approach to design.

Each season, Technoculture Oligo Press (TCOP) will provide a curated rundown of the brands poised to lead Tokyo fashion into the future. Join us on a deep dive into the designers taking on the world from the catwalks of Tokyo.