It is the emergence of new talent that invigorates fashion in every era. In this issue, we introduce designers from three noteworthy brands that have made great strides overseas, five Tokyo-based "Tokyo New Age" brands, and designer Shuko Nakazato, the much talked about designer who became the first Japanese to win the Grand Prix in the jewelry category at ITS, Europe's largest fashion competition. Be sure to check out this list of newcomers whose future developments are sure to be exciting!

■YUIMA NAKAZATO: The Future of Haute Couture, "Created Freely from the Body," Showcased at Paris Fashion Week

YUIMA NAKAZATO, the designer behind YUIMA NAKAZATO, held his first show at the Autumn/Winter 2017 Haute Couture Collection, becoming the first Japanese designer to participate in an Haute Couture collection in 12 years since Hanae Mori. Inspired by the nature of Iceland and created using technology, we delve into the source of his creativity.


■The only Japanese designer to receive acclaim in Milan: "Fashion is a means of connecting tradition and modernity, different cultures and people" -- Designer ATSUSHI NAKASHIMA

Atsushi Nakajima (ATSUSHI NAKASHIMA) presented his collection in Milan, a city where it is rare for Japanese designers to be successful compared to cities like Paris and London, and he came into the limelight. "For me, fashion is a means of combining tradition and modernity. It connects different cultures and people," he says. In this article, we bring you the story of what inspired him to aim to become a designer, and how he developed his skills and seized this opportunity.


■A supernova at just 27 years old. Kenta Matsushige, a young designer based in Paris, taking on the world

Among the young designers active in Paris, Kenta Matsushige is attracting attention in both name and reality. Despite only being 27 years old, he has gained experience at renowned fashion houses such as Givenchy and Dior, and made a spectacular debut with the Spring/Summer 2015 collection with the cooperation of a workshop under the Chanel umbrella. We spoke to him about how he became a designer, why he is based in Paris, and what he envisions for the future.


■[Asking the "futures" of fashion] The reason behind the creation of a look that instantly received 2,000 retweets on Twitter -- Designer Yoshida Keisuke --

The "gamer-inspired" look presented at the Tokyo Collection for the Spring/Summer 2016 season has been retweeted over 2,000 times on Twitter, and is also attracting the attention of buyers at Colette in Paris, designer Yoshida Keisuke of Keisuke Yoshida (KEISUKEYOSHIDA). He says that what motivated him to become a fashion designer was "because I wanted to be a cool guy," and in this interview we delve into the source of his creativity.


■[Asking the "futures" of fashion] I think choosing clothes is a challenge that is given equally to everyone. Designer Yokozawa Kotoha --

Kotoha Yokozawa is steadily gaining fans by proposing a girly look that is whimsical and unstable, yet also exudes a ladylike beauty. Designer Yokozawa Kotoha says that she grew up in an environment where her grandmother ran a dressmaking shop, and her home was stocked with sewing machines and other tools necessary for dressmaking. We hear about her encounters with Yamagata Yoshikazu and Sakabe Mikio, as well as how she came to launch her brand.


■[An Interview with the "Futures" of Fashion] A Temperature That Blends Girlishness and Coolness--Designer Aoki Akiko--

AKIKO AOKI is a fashion brand that focuses on "girlishness," and this is strongly reflected in its seasonal themes. We get a glimpse into her image of what a "girl" is, from her time as a student at a mission school whose motto was "Pure, righteous, and beautiful," to studying design at Central Saint Martins in London, and anecdotes from her journey to starting up her brand after returning to Japan.


■[An Interview with the "Futures" of Fashion] Fashion Created in Collaboration with "Mother" After Tracing His Roots -- Designer Murakami Ryota --

Murakami Ryota of RYOTA MURAKAMI is an up-and-coming designer who has been active in a wide range of fields, attracting attention after being nominated for ITS, Europe's largest fashion competition, and providing costumes for Dempagumi.inc. He says that he became interested in fashion as a child after wearing clothes made by his mother, a painter, and we explore the deep relationship between design and his "mother."


■[An Interview with the "Futures" of Fashion] Showing the Japanese Salaryman in the "Context of Fashion" -- Otsuki Takeshi --

Otsuki Takeshi attended "Coconogacco" while studying at Bunka Fashion College, and in 2015 started his eponymous brand "Soushi Otsuki," attracting attention as the youngest Japanese nominee for the fashion contest "LVMH Prize." We take a closer look at his view of "fashion," developing collections that use Japanese colors and incorporate Japanese motifs such as mizuhiki and chrysanthemum flowers into tailored clothing.


■Nakazato Shuko x Terasawa Mari "When we thought about fashion and digital, we ended up in space"

In 2014, fashion designer Nakazato Shuko became the first Japanese to win the Grand Prix in the jewelry category of ITS, Europe's largest fashion competition, and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in the Department of Art, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In conjunction with the opening of a pop-up shop at Isetan Shinjuku that proposes what department stores will look like in 3016, we bring you a talk session with buyer Terasawa.