Junko Koshino

Published in FASHION & DESIGN  
Junko Koshino Photo Courtesy of Junko Koshino, Inc.

Fashion Design by Junko Koshino

“What led you to hold a fashion show in China?” That’s what Li Zhao asked me at a party after she hosted “China’s biggest fashion show” at the Beijing Hotel in 1985 at a time when her husband, Hu Yaobang, was general secretary of the Communist Party.

This was a time when most people in China were still wearing Mao suits and goods were thinly rationed in the market. The thirsty ground started longing for the blessed rain of fashion after the show.

The related organizations of the China National Garments Group Corporation — in which four million people worked all over the nation to produce Mao suits — asked me to do many things such as launching shops in Beijing, holding events for the Asian Games, and becoming a local fashion adviser. Some factories were confused with the Chinese economic reform. But on the other hand, a futuristic spinning factory sponsored by the government with cutting-edge Italian looms appeared in a rural area. In addition to the two annual collections in Paris and Tokyo, we also had shows in Vietnam and Cuba as the Communist nations became democratized. The events we had in Beijing ranged from a design exhibition at the National Museum of China to a sports fashion show at the Workers Indoor Arena.

「どうして中国でショウをしようと思ったんですか?」 と 1985 年北京飯店での「中国最大のショウ」のあとの 宴会で主催者でもある時の総書記(胡耀邦)夫人の 李昭さん。 まだほとんど人民服、モノは配給に近い状態の品薄市場。 乾いた大地はこのショウをきっかけにファッションの 雨を待ち望んだ。中国全土全職員 400 万人という地域の 国民衣料を供給する中国服装公司の関連協会は北京での 出店やアジア大会へ向けたイベントやローカルの 服装顧問などいろいろなことを言ってきた。 局部的には解放政策に戸惑いのある 工場も多かったが、国をバックに農村の 真中に新鋭イタリア織機をそろえた未来都市 のような紡績工場も出現させていた。 年に二度のパリと東京でのコレクション に加え共産国家の民主化とともにベトナム やキューバでのファッションショウも。 北京での催しも国家博物館のデザイン展や 工人体育館でのスポーツファッションショウ など多岐におよんだ。

The idea of the show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1990 started when I was passing through New York on my way home from opening a store in Paris.

“Creating works to show to people”

There is nothing greater than the joy of giving lasting impressions through my work and sharing them with people with different cultural backgrounds and values.

Last year, 2.5 million Chinese visited Japan thanks to support from the government and private businesses. By looking at the country from an external perspective, I rediscovered Japan’s magni cence at Paris Fashion Week and other events all over the world. I have heard that many young people in Japan are not willing to go abroad nowadays. Your travels can be a mirror that re ects who you are.

Through my initiative to participate in Paris Fashion Week, I found the roots of Japanese culture in continental Chinese culture.

In May 2015, a pre-show event was held at the Beijing Hotel. This was hosted by a group of 3,000 people, who came to China to show appre- ciation for and promote visiting Japan.

During the nale of the show, the view I saw from the stage was lled with the re ies of ashlights coming from the iPhones in the hands of almost 1,000 spectators. This represented the 30th anniversary of our shows in China since the rst one was held 30 years ago.

“Holding the Beijing fashion show was like a ower blossoming on a branch of Japanese culture with the trunk being Chinese culture. I wanted to show the ower to the Chinese people.”

1990 年NYのメトロポリタン美術館での ファッションショウのきっかけはパリの店を 開店してNY経由の帰り道から始まった。「作品を見せるために作る」当たり前の作業 でもそれが異なる文化や価値観の人々に刺激と 共感をあたえ共有できる歓びは何にも変えられない。 政府、民間の努力もあって昨年 250 万人の中国人 が日本を訪問した。私もパリコレの参加や世界各地での 催しをとおして、日本を外からみてその素晴らしさを 発見した。最近では日本の若者の海外志向が乏しいとも 聞いてる。旅行は自分を映す鏡かもしれない。 パリコレクションへの参加という宿題からみつけた 日本文化のルーツ中国大陸文化。2015 年5月訪日観光のお礼と促進の 3000 人の訪中団 の前夜祭的催事のファッションショウは北京飯店にて開催。 ショウのフィナーレにステージから見た会場は一面 のホタルが出迎えた。1000 人近い観客はアイフォンで 初めてのショウから 30 年目のショウのフィナーレを 出迎えた。「北京でのファッションショウ開催は中国文化という 木の幹、その枝の日本文化の先に咲く花です。それを 中国の方にお見せしようとおもいました。」

The complete article can be found in Issue #277 of the Tokyo Journal. Click here to order from Amazon.

Written By:

Junko Koshino

Junko Koshino is one of Japan’s most highly acclaimed fashion designers, best known for her wide array of designs. These include her Junko Koshino line, corporate and sports team uniform designs, and musi- cal performance costumes. She has also been involved in cultural exchanges through her fashion design activi- ties in the U.S., China, Vietnam, Cuba, Italy and France. Born in Osaka, Koshino won the prestigious So-en Award while studying in Bunka Fashion College’s design program. She was appointed by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as the 2008 Yokoso! Japan Ambassador (now ‘Visit Japan Ambassador’).



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