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Work of art
Hisui designer Hiroko Ito is behind a thrilling fusion
of fashion and art. Martin Webb meets one of the Tokyo style
scene's fastest rising stars.
Catching her breath after an exhausting couple of hours preparing
for her latest catwalk presentation, Hisui designer Hiroko
Ito bids the last of the straggling well-wishers goodbye before
sitting down to explain the concept behind her latest collection.
Alternately sipping on tea through a straw and dragging on
a cigarette, the carefree designer begins to talk in a husky
voice. "I wanted to show my work in a beautiful way
this time," she says, referring to the simple catwalk
format of the 2004 Spring/Summer show that took place earlier
this month.
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| Hiroki Ito, who showcased
boldly patterned and paneled looks for Spring/Summer 2004 |
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Ito's brand Hisui, which means "jade"
in Japanese, is renowned for outré presentations, courtesy
of long-term collaborator, Takeshi Matsuoka. Last season,
the installation artist created motorized metal platforms
that models steered across a pit in the floor of an underground
gallery. But this time Ito was determined to let the clothes
take center stage and not let Matsuoka's innovations
distract attention from her designs. The result was an irregularly
shaped platform erected inside a theater. "It had got
back to me that the critics thought the installations were
detracting from my work, so I asked Takeshi to hold back this
time," explains the buoyant designer. "For this
season, my work is designed to look equally beautiful from
any angle, so the stage fits in with that concept."
Futuristic styling
Fitting in neatly with the concept of geometry and angles
were the patchwork-like panels included in many of the items
on show. "I included lots of triangular panels,"
says Ito. "That's one of the key features running
through the collection." Hisui is renowned for its
futuristic styling with outrageous digitally manipulated prints
in searing bright colors, making for exactly the kind of look
that overseas onlookers expect to be coming out of 21st-century
Japan. The label is most popular with outgoing, fashion-forward
females who pioneer the mix-and-match layered look that Tokyo
is now famous for. Tomboy Ito knows what her customers are
looking for and how they will wear it. "Some of the
clothes look like they're part of a layered ensemble,"
she says, "but they're actually one garment."
Ito still regards Hisui as a work in progress, and despite
including safe bets in her latest lineup, she took an entirely
new direction this season by including a selection of long
dresses. Including evening wear looks was a big departure
for a brand that has built its reputation on street-influenced
daywear, and in order to emphasize the significance of the
shift in direction, the collection was entitled "Entrance
by Dress." "The layered look suits the Japanese
figure well," says Ito. "But I wanted to create
something a little bit slinkier. The dresses look complicated
and glamorous, but they are actually well suited for everyday
use." The daring maneuver was deftly pulled off with
bold, shoulder-baring silhouettes and sharp draping in a palette
of red, pink, black, white and the brand's signature
bold geometrical prints.
English-speaking Ito is a rarity among Tokyo-based designers
in that she learned her trade overseas. Having graduated from
New York's top fashion college, F.I.T., Ito went to
work for ultra-intellectual Japanese fashion firm Comme des
Garcons, where the clothing is as conceptual as it gets and
fashion is considered an art form. Since leaving her position
at Comme to establish Hisui in 1998, Ito has collaborated
with dozens of Tokyo-based artists. The latest of these interdisciplinary
meetings of minds was with Hiro Tanaka, a graphic artist who
was behind this season's '50s Bauhaus/Kadinsky-inspired
prints that incorporate semicircles and traditional Indian
motifs.
The art world is one in which she feels very comfortable.
"Most of my friends are artists, and I try to work
with them whenever I can," she says. "They provide
me with lots of good ideas and inspiration, and working with
graphic artists and illustrators helps lighten my workload."
The recent runway show featured contributions from two collaborators
that rounded out the selection. There were flashy chain-mail
accessories by designer Kiyoshi Daigaku and super-oversized
bags by ADD that models dumped into a heap in the center of
the stage at the finale of the show.
Topsy-turvy atelier
The artistic bent of this 36-year-old working mother is immediately
evident from a visit to her tiny, topsy-turvy atelier in Harajuku,
which could just as easily be a painter's studio. Ito
coordinates every aspect of her thriving little business from
this haphazard diminutive space, and all the hard work seems
to be paying off - her highly acclaimed fall/winter
collection was snapped up by cutting-edge stores like Kokon
To Zai in London, Shine in Hong Kong, Gallarda Gallante in
Osaka, and Flair in Tokyo. Ito is an avid supporter of the
Tokyo fashion scene, but admits that in terms of PR and organization,
Japanese fashion firms still have a lot to learn from their
European counterparts. "They're so much more
professional over there," she laments. "Being
featured in a Japanese magazine just doesn't generate
interest abroad."
Ito is hoping that the reputation for weird and wonderful
clothing she has so firmly established in Japan will translate
into recognition overseas sooner or later. It is still too
soon to say for sure, but Ito is pleased to announce that
there has been lots of interest in the latest collection from
boutique buyers both in Japan and overseas. So it seems almost
certain that we'll be hearing a great deal more from
this fascinating fashion creator.
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