Japan Fashion Industry

[discoiskinky]

Hey

I am a fashion designer in Sydney and I am considering relocating to Japan. I am interested to find out if anyone here works in or has had any experience with the Japanese fashion industry and if it is common for foreigners to work in this type of industry.

Besides fashion I have a graphic design background but not a very extensive one. I have been in fashion design for about 4 years. Mostly menswear but I am also interested in womens. I would be interested in anything creative based I suppose. I don't think i would be accepted in non creative roles not only due to my lack of experience in that type of thing but i dont have a very corporate appearance (tattoos etc).

Any advice or shared experiences would be great, or if there is anything online catered to this type of thing that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

[Tsuwabuki]

You're a little late, but you could contact the people who run Japan Fashion Week.

[Polar]

Do you belong to any associations ?

Here's the list for Japan.

Here's the list for Oz.

Those are the people to ask.

[discoiskinky]

Originally Posted by JoshAussie

So uh.. What do you have that native Japanese fashion/graphic designers don't have?

Why would you become successful? Why are you thinking about going to Japan anyway? Do you think success will come easier to you over there?

In the fashion industry it is common practice for people of different countries to work together. It's not about having skills that natives don't have as such - it's more about exploring different aesthetics and the collaboration of different creatives.

I'm not looking to become 'successful' in Japan, I'm looking to work with designers i look up to and respect and to have a wider scope to design in since Australian fashion is boring and quite limiting.

[discoiskinky]

Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki

You're a little late, but you could contact the people who run Japan Fashion Week.

Thats actually a good idea. I have worked with sydney fashion in some capacity for about 4 years. Sydney fashion week isn't very exciting however.

[discoiskinky]

Originally Posted by Polar

Do you belong to any associations ?

Here's the list for Japan.

Here's the list for Oz.

Those are the people to ask.

I assume you have no experience with those sites? They are utter crap.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by JoshAussie

I just wrote a long reply, but thought about "Australian fashion" some more. What does that even mean? That last sentence just sounds like some sort of cop out. I'v worked with fashion designers, covered fashion festivals and been offered jobs at international clothing companies, from what I understand that sort of mentality is frowned upon. You're only limited by your own lack of creativity.

I think he means that Australian fashion isn't big like NY, London, Paris and Milan etc. Talent from all over the world heads to these places, and recently as Asia is growing, Tokyo has gotten big!

Saying that you're only limited by your own lack of creativity is all nice and poetic, but the world doesn't work like that... You could be the most gifted person in the world in a certain field, and you may never get as far as someone that is less talented with more opportunities! There are too many people in the world now, originality is a rarity and usually means are more important than talent!

[sarasi]

Your main issue in working in the Japan fashion industry will be language- unless you can speak very good Japanese, you are not going to be able to communicate with many people in the industry as not many people here speak English at a communicative level. Because of this it is going to be very hard to find a company to hire you. If you speak/write Japanese well you have a better shot, but without any contacts in the industry it is still going to be hard to land a job, especially in this economy.

[discoiskinky]

Originally Posted by JoshAussie

I just wrote a long reply, but thought about "Australian fashion" some more. What does that even mean? That last sentence just sounds like some sort of cop out. I'v worked with fashion designers, covered fashion festivals and been offered jobs at international clothing companies, from what I understand that sort of mentality is frowned upon. You're only limited by your own lack of creativity.

In short, I mean i don't like any existing* brands in Australia and I am not in a position to start my own label. I would like some more experience first, preferably from a range of countries/labels/people etc. And it just so happens that i get a lot of creative inspiration from Japan, not just from the fashion available there but the culture, people and music.


*there actually some smaller independant brands that i admire but wouldn't work for.

[discoiskinky]

Originally Posted by JoshAussie

I was offered a full time position at both companies to work as part of their design teams but declined both offers.

very impressive. i've made the assumption from you pic that you are a photographer, is that correct or are you a designer?