Do you know TOMO KOIZUMI?
The name became widely known to the public at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The mass media widely covered it, praising its dressmaking befitting the Olympics. The brand that tailored this dress is TOMO KOIZUMI, run by Tomoki Koizumi.
TOMO KOIZUMI held its first fashion show in two years at Nijo Castle in Kyoto.
目次
Collection 2022
Does the spirit of our ancestors dwell in Nijo Castle at night? Sacred and delicate time was flowing. The TOMO KOIZUMI show was held here, in this place, with the ideology of “inheriting Japanese materials, culture, and spirituality.
I saw the “Japanese” culture and spirit manifested as it is in this show.
TOMO KOIZUMI’s View of Japan
What comes to mind when you think of “Japan”?
Kabuki, kimonos, Japanese food, and various traditional and archaic cultures and concepts may fill your brain with the exaggerated “Japan” presented as “Cool Japan.” However, the reality is that such a good old-fashioned and noble traditional culture is no longer the essence of what makes Japan what it is. I think this way. Japan is a country that is proud of its traditions, but at the same time, it has embraced Western and continental cultures.
Tomo Koizumi’s show beautifully depicts Japan, a country that mixes diverse cultures and yet tries to preserve its traditional aspects.
Ancient Japaneseness
Needless to say, the ancient Japanese kimono culture is represented in the collection pieces of this show.
Several pieces were proposed that were interwoven with kimono textiles. As a Japanese, I can’t help but feel a sense of heightened prestige in the peeking of ancient Japanese patterns.
Layers and layers of ruffles blurred the lines of the body. Here, too, one senses a hint of the long-established Japanese Junihitoe culture.
In the look shown in Figure 3, Japanese makeup culture is expressed by Ai Tominaga, a model who has been active at the forefront of Paris collections for many years.
While there is a clearly expressed Japanese-ness that can be called a “symbol” cultivated in Japan since ancient times, what is interesting is that Japanese-ness, as interpreted in Western culture, is also well presented.
Japan as interpreted in Western culture
As shown in Picture 4, it is still a Western-style dress placed as the base.
The bust area of the upper half of the body follows the lines of the body tightly, emphasizing the style. The lower half of the body is more expansive, blurring the lines and creating a beautiful A-line. The trail that runs along the ground, as seen in Figure 5, also gives off the scent of Western dress culture. (It could also be interpreted as the length of the hem seen simply in the twelfth position.)
While this aspect of the dress is shaped based on the history of Western clothing, it is also firmly interwoven with the ancient Japanese culture.
In Figure 5, the dress worn by the model is narrowed at the waist, reminiscent of a corset. However, if we look at the material and the form of the dress, it seems more like an obi. In terms of function, the dress borrows the context of a corset that emphasizes the waist. But in terms of pattern and material, it expresses the obi found in a kimono. The dress in Figure 4 is decorated with Chinese-style patterns. In addition, the dress in Figure 4 is decorated with Chinese designs, which expresses the culture of the Greater China region, which has been a significant influence on the dress since ancient times.
The background music at the show’s end is also impressive when viewed in the context of this “blend of Japanese and Western styles. The music is dramatic in a classical style, but at the same time, it is interwoven with the sounds of Japanese drums and the rhythms that have been cultivated in Japan since ancient times. The words “Hana ga Saita yo…” (I could not catch the rest of the words) were also inserted and repeated along with the tanka poem’s rhythm. The melody had a nostalgic aspect reminiscent of nursery rhymes familiar from childhood.
Inheritance of Japanese Culture
As mentioned initially, the show expressed the life-size Japaneseness as Tomotaka Koizumi sees it. He tries to keep the traditions of his own country while being influenced by the West and the continent. This could be felt in the collection pieces he created and staged.
Above all, I could sense his will to continue to pass on this Japanese image to future generations.
