Kamishima Chinami s/s 2011 Tokyo

Kamishima Chinami is a brilliant Japanese designer whose work has literally been ‘Lost in Translation’ as the west remains to be seen as an unreceptive territory for Asian designers. However, as dimensions and buying powers shift in favour of the east, with China at the forefront, designers of such calibre should be taken seriously for the sheer genius their garments embody. A product of ESMOD Japan, this designer is a prime example of Asian dexterity.

Chinami’s  S/S 2011 collection which was displayed at the Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo seamlessly blends eastern influences into forms that are clearly suggestive of western style. The light colour palette, trenches, high waist pants, ruffled blouses and skirts; all dominant elements of the runway in Paris, Milan and New York were on display in Tokyo too. Chinami skilfully patents these common pieces with floral prints and unique cuts that are suggestive of a kimono and Asian influences at large. Comfort was an apparent priority with unrestricted silhouettes and quirky flat leather shoes which featured uninterrupted through the collection.

This collection showed an often unseen sensitivity on the part of Asian designer to the global market. Asian designs are often heavily influenced by street culture. Rewind the clock 18 months and one would find the Chinami label flirting with the borders of what is considered haute couture in the west. But with this collection the designer has drawn from her experience picked up in her travels in the 90’s before embarking on a solo career. With over a decade of experience with her own label, Kamishima Chinami is definitely a name western buyers should get accustomed to.