On June 12th, fashion brands MILK and MILKBOY, directed by Hitomi Okawa, held their first runway show in six years at Harajuku Quest Hall.
FASHION HEADLINE reports on the event, along with comments from director Hitomi Okawa.
MILK was founded in 1970. More than 40 years later, the brand continues to create romantic and stimulating collections from Harajuku that blend both young girls and adults.
The show was held at Harajuku Quest Hall. Harajuku is a city that everyone longs for when they first become interested in fashion. It is also a mecca where street culture is born.
Entering the venue one hour before the first show, the staff members in baby pink staff T-shirts walking briskly convey the excitement of the long-awaited moment. Backstage, models chatted after finishing their makeup, taking selfies and uploading photos to social media. Each model had a rack displaying looks made with original textiles. The show's collection was organized around five themes inspired by the various feelings and situations of young people. "We always strive to deliver a special worldview that can only be found at MILK," said a staff member. As the doors opened, guests, each with an invitation in hand, began to gather. Seeing the high expectations of the women dressed in MILK fashion and stepping out into Harajuku, one couldn't help but feel the power of fashion. The curtain rose. (Click here for more information about the show.) Hair and makeup for this show was handled by Noboru Tomizawa. The brand's pop world was further enhanced by its hair and makeup. A vivid red argyle dress was paired with a red wig, tied up on top. This subtle touch of color further enhanced the styling and the model's character.

One look that made a strong impact with hair and makeup was the MILKBOY look, inspired by the film "GREMLINS." Before the show began, Tomizawa pointed to the mint blue wig that spread out in all directions and explained, "There's popcorn here."

It was created by Tomizawa based on an idea from director Okawa. On the runway, models wearing the wig ate popcorn from their hands and sometimes even threw it into the audience as they walked.

Music composer Hiroshi Fujiwara was also present at the show venue. The opening, with "Halloween" as its keyword, featured an arrangement of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," No. 3 from "The Nutcracker." The piano notes hint at the beginning, and the beats gradually build up, creating a captivating new style of ballet music.


--In report 2/2, we interviewed Okawa Hitomi, director of MILK and MILKBOY.