The 33rd Mainichi Fashion Awards ceremony was held on November 5th at the Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall. The awards, which honor the most prominent individuals, companies, and organizations in the fashion industry over the course of a year (June 2014 to May 2015), began in 1983 and this year marked the 33rd time the awards have been presented. Chitose Abe of sacai received the Grand Prize for the second time since 2007. The only other recipients of the Grand Prize more than twice are Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Jun Takahashi. "My feelings haven't changed at all since I received the award eight years ago. For 17 years since starting my brand, I've pursued only what I love, but I still feel the support of those around me. There's still so much I need to do, and I feel like the past eight years have flown by. I want to continue seeing new sights I've never seen before. I want to continue working, knowing that there are more things out there that I don't know about," said Chitose Abe, expressing her joy at receiving the award. Daiichi Orimono, a manufacturer of high-density synthetic fabrics widely used by international luxury brands, including sacai downwear, received a special award. The Kujiraoka Amiko Award went to Ryuhei Oomaru (CEO of Oomaru Seisakusho 2 Inc.), a pattern maker with a studio in New York City and highly trusted by international designers. Both men spoke of their pride in being "Made in Japan" in their acceptance speeches, which were particularly noteworthy. The Topic Award went to Dior, which hosted the "Esprit Dior - The World of Dior" exhibition in Ginza for two months. It also held a runway show at the Kokugikan Sumo Hall in December and recently reopened its Omotesando store, further strengthening its ties with Japan. The Newcomer Award and Shiseido Encouragement Award went to Masanori Morikawa of Christian Dada. He was recognized for his decision to enter the Paris Men's Collection in Spring/Summer 2015, saying, "I want to make this brand a global competitor." After the award ceremony, the brand held a runway show for its 16SS women's collection, which was unveiled at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo (MBFWT) in October.

Text: Noda Tatsuya