Have you ever awakened to your own identity through fashion? Napoleon once said, "In the uniform one wears, one becomes." Perhaps fashion speaks volumes about who "you" and "I" are through the physical contact of our bodies.

Through the method of shared performance, "HAPPENING" explores ways to make fashion more free and fun. Led by stylist Kyoko Fushimi, and with members including fashion critic Takeharu Hirakawa and journalist Yoshiko Ikoma, the group's ultimate goal is to hold an Asian collection.

Beginning with a guerrilla fashion show at Tokyo Collection in March 2014, six months later, they performed at Laforet Harajuku. In March 2015, models and designers boarded a glass-walled campaign van, which began at Shibuya Parco and toured the city, performing guerrilla performances all the way to Aoyama COMMUNE246.

"HAPPENING" was started at the initiative of stylist Fushimi Kyoko, who questioned the state of fashion in Tokyo and Japan following the unprecedented earthquake that struck eastern Japan in March 2011. Why does "HAPPENING" stimulate fashion to such an extent? To find out why, we spoke to founder and stylist Fushimi Kyoko, designer Ebata Koshiro of KOSHIRO EBATA, who has been participating since the first event, and Suzuki Shigeru and Suzuki Megu of the creative unit "THE ME," at Fab Cafe Tokyo in Shibuya.

■Reason for starting "HAPPENING"

When asked why he started "HAPPENING," Fushimi replied: "When you think about opportunities to present creations in the Tokyo fashion industry, it's all confined to a set system. For example, there are rules created by the industry that prevent domestic fashion brands from being featured in international magazines. And it's difficult for independent designers who choose not to follow the system to survive. The Japanese fashion industry does not have an environment to nurture talented people. My initial motivation for taking action was my anger at the fact that Japanese people cannot help other Japanese people." Although his tone is calm, he speaks with an extraordinary love for fashion.

■ A Question from "HAPPENING"

The theme of the fourth "HAPPENING" for 16SS is "STATEMENT." The entire staff decided on the theme together and arrived at the theme, which they named "Statement." The message of this "HAPPENING" is to create an opportunity to think, "Who am I?" and "Who are you?" through fashion. "I think it's important in the fashion world to confess the question, 'Who exactly am I?'" Fushimi said, followed by Shigeru who added, "It's also a question for us, but we want the viewers to feel something. Whether it's 'the best!' or 'the worst,' it doesn't matter, but we hope it inspires them in some way." Another theme for this event is "fashion x technology." Sponsored by Kodak PIXPRO Digital Cameras, the group will be capturing Japan's first 360-degree fashion performance. "We're not particularly tech-savvy," Fushimi said with a laugh, "but just like fashion and music were close in the past, I think fashion and technology are now close. So we don't want to miss out on this evolution, and I think it's fascinating that technology is so close to us." The announcement will be a procession between Omotesando and Harajuku, and the group plans to film and distribute the event video. "Even we don't know what the goal is, but we find it fascinating to simply do something we don't understand," says Meg. Indeed, "HAPPENING" is a group that truly enjoys not knowing.

■ What Supports "HAPPENING" Creations

Although they have a statement out in the world, that statement often wavers for various reasons, such as the large number of people involved and the fact that each person has different expectations. How do the members of "HAPPENING" acquire the strength to swim toward what they believe in, even while living in a world that is like an ocean of constant change? I later realized that this was a silly question, but it still occurred to me.

Ebata says, "This is the fourth collection for "HAPPENING," and it's the one we've been swimming the most. That's because we started by thinking carefully about the image and visuals before taking action. This time, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to create." Meg also said, "When I feel like swimming, I swim, and when I don't feel like swimming, I don't. I never even think about whether I'm swimming or not (laughs)." They usually work with clients, so "HAPPENING" is simply a place for them to express what they believe is good. "Humans can only do what they think is the best," Fushimi said. "I believe that instead of 'I'm going to live my life doing things that aren't the best,' we can confront each other with our best and discuss whether it's good or bad." Perhaps the reason HAPPENING remains unwavering is because it's an honest space where everyone can bring out their best.

HAPPENING's 16SS collection, themed "STATEMENT," will be unveiled on October 17th in Harajuku. Performances are scheduled to begin at 1 PM near the Omotesando Hills crosswalk and at 2:30 PM near Harajuku Station. No invitation is required, so you can experience the stories fashion tells in the streets.

In addition, "HAPPENING@TOKYO Liberation Zone" will be open from October 14th to 20th on the 2nd floor of the main building of Isetan Shinjuku. Original products such as T-shirts (8,000 yen), scarves (5,500 yen), and iPhone cases (3,500 yen) by HAPPENING designers who resonate with the challenging fashion spirit will be on sale. From the 18th, you will also be able to see HAPPENING's 16SS collection up close.

Why not take this opportunity to experience the exhilaration that fashion can bring?