"MIKIO SAKABE" produced a collection that confirmed its talents.
With a concept of creating a line where "personality stands out amidst the impersonal," "MIKIO SAKABE" chose the theme of "Industrial Doll." Using large numbers of Licca - the Japanese equivalent of Barbie - dolls as models to create an inorganic image, "MIKIO SAKABE" emphasized suit styles, the ultimate expression of an impersonal garment. With sharp silhouettes, tights, pleats, ribbons and rubber print processing on clothes surfaces, the details were also unique.
oooh misa,i was waiting for these! he did a show in milan i learned from diane,and i could not find anything from it. i like this but it's not as strong as maybe last season.
oooh misa,i was waiting for these! he did a show in milan i learned from diane,and i could not find anything from it. i like this but it's not as strong as maybe last season.
i was impressed when i saw his clothes in the shop. Very well-made and wearable but still unique.
He's got promise...but I surmise the driving force behind his collections thus far will surely dissipate and he will have to explore other themes. But I have promise for him and his partner. I am interviewing him tomorrow, will post it up after it has been published
Mikio Sakabe
The debut this season of the Mikio Sakabe label, a husband-and-wife endeavor comprising Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen Fang, was greeted by an impressive crowd eager to see a new star burst into the fashion firmament.
Sakabe first drew attention last season with his JFW-sponsored "Designers Met in Europe" show, which brought together Japanese designers who had studied abroad. As a 2007 graduate of the Royal College of Fine Arts Antwerp, Sakabe follows in the Belgian footsteps of luminaries such as Martin Margiela and Dries Van Noten, and before launching his eponymous brand last year he had already garnered a slew of awards for his graduate collection.
Meanwhile, Shueh Jen Fang is a Taiwan national who acts as Sakabe's muse and consultant, fine-tuning details and editing the collection.
Despite this being the first season Sakabe has officially presented in the show format, he was also recently invited to show in Milan, a short skip ahead of his Tokyo unveiling.
"I staged my show differently in Milan than in Tokyo, by playing up the pop image there. In Tokyo I needed more than that — a 'plus alpha' — that extra oomf to impress people."
The collection in question was titled "Industrial Dolls," and it featured the designer taking a jab at what he calls "fashion people" — or those hapless followers of trends and raunchy indecorum.
In the show, Sakabe launched an assembly line of models resembling Licca dolls — Japan's Barbies — bobbling down the runway in dark, sleek skirt-suits with fluorescent rubber detailing on pockets and piping on the seams. To add to the fun, laser rubber cutouts looking like mechanical circuitry were appliqued onto leggings in juicy colors, taking advantage of a new advance in textile technology.
He also presented a series of oversized linebacker jackets which were inspired by an astronaut’s suit, solidifying a futuristic vibe. And in spite of Sakabe’s dismay for overt sex found in fashion, the women in his show were mysteriously lust-worthy.
"I wanted to take something that is as un-individualistic as an office uniform and show that a woman can still be fashionably unique despite wearing something that may seem to be the antithesis of individuality. And I also find the uniform to be feminine but sexually demure at the same time."
As long as fashion sheep keep grazing — and fueling Sakabe's frustrations at their follies, then expect more promising collections from him and his partner at Tokyo Collections to come. (M.J.)
What an fascinating effect! I can't really get into this collection, but the leggings are amazing.
Linear Mode
