Australian fashion designer Lang Leav has written a fascinating account of her recent journey to Tokyo to study the Japanese underground fashion scene, and seek out market leads for her Akina label, as part of the Churchill Fellowship.
I arrive in Japan in the midst of the harsh July summer at my share house in Nishi-Kawaguchi, an infamous red light district north of Tokyo. While trying to navigate the security pin system, a Westerner approaches. I smile apologetically, ‘sorry, I just moved in today.’ ‘Take your time,’ he replies. We make small talk in the elevator and exchange numbers. Later I will learn that he is James Blumer, a model from L.A. who holds the second highest certification in Japanese. He is also the only Westerner to play in a Visual Kei band, a genre of music that is synonymous with the subcultures of my study. On impulse, I ask him if he will be my translator. ‘I would love to,’ he smiles.
A collection of photos taken by Australian expatriate, Tokyo based web designer Tim Rudder, can also be seen in the Cosplaying Lolita photo album on Facebook.
Anyone trying to carve out a niche market overseas needs to read this.
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