DESIGNART 2017, a new design and art festival based on the concept of "Emotional Life," will be held during Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO Spring/Summer 2018 from October 16th to October 22nd in Tokyo's Aoyama, Jingumae, Shibuya, Daikanyama, and Roppongi.
DESIGNART, a portmanteau of design and art, will use the entire city of Tokyo as its main venue and bring together design, art, fashion, food, technology, and more from around the world. It was initiated by five creative groups: Akio Aoki of MIRU DESIGN, Shun Kawakami of artless, Hiroshi Koike of NON-GRID, Chugo Nagata of EXS, and Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham architecture.
This inaugural event will be held during Tokyo Fashion Week. Over 50 venues across five areas, including shops, galleries, bookshops, cafes, restaurants, commercial facilities, and vacant space, will be set up. Participating stores will be identified with icons such as masking tape frames and official flags designed by architect Keiji Ashizawa. All works by participating designers and artists will be exhibited with set prices. The goal is to attract 50,000 visitors. During the event, Dean & Deluca Cafe Aoyama will be the official cafe, and a special opening event, "PechaKucha Night," a creative event held in approximately 1,000 cities worldwide, will be held. Collaborations with the Japan Fashion Week Organization are also planned, with details to be announced in July. "Right now, there's a lot of excitement surrounding the Tokyo Olympics, and subsidies are being provided for manufacturing. However, looking beyond the Olympics, we need to propose an inspiring lifestyle and, within the next two to three years, create a platform for presenting our work to the general public, introducing them to art and the joy of owning fine things, as well as a system and foundation that can continue for 30 years," said Aoki, one of the organizers. Regarding fashion, he said, "While the announcement is still some way off, we've been approached by commercial facilities and global luxury brands. We'd also like to work with innovative fashion and designers like Tsumura Kosuke, who is currently exhibiting at Spiral Garden." Furthermore, the Japan Fashion Week Organization, which first held Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo in 2005, is actively seeking cooperation in collaborative projects, as its venue, a special tent in front of the Meiji Jingu Gaien Meiji Memorial Museum Art Gallery, was located next to the Tokyo Design Week venue.