The Japan Fashion Week (JFW) Organization has announced the 20 brands that will be participating in the Creative Japan Fashion Fair, which will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Cool Japan Overseas Strategy Project.
The Creative Japan Fashion Fair will be held at the Harvey Nichols Riyadh department store in Riyadh from February 25th to March 10th, 2013. With support from the Creative Industries Division of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the fair aims to promote the appeal of Japanese brands by test marketing fashion and lifestyle products that evoke a "modern Japanese spirit" overseas.
While wearing a black ankle-length gown known as an "abaya" is mandatory, underneath it women are free to wear jeans, T-shirts and other fashion items similar to those worn in the West, and there are many opportunities to show off their clothes in public in female-only offices and schools. As a result, the Saudi Arabian market is home to major Western SPAs such as fast fashion, Zara and Mango, and is a major consumer base for fashion brands from Europe and neighboring countries, making it a rapidly growing market with great potential. The exhibition will introduce apparel, fashion accessories, interior goods and stationery brands selected by a judging committee and through recommendations from Saudi Arabian experts, with a focus on women's brands that are the main target of Harvey Nichols Riyadh, including A DEGREE FAHRENHEIT, FUGAHUM, PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE, SOMARTA, TSUMORI CHISATO, BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE, Q-pot. and Tokyu Hands. In addition, contemporary artist Maki Tetsuhei has created the key visual for the Creative Japan Fashion Fair, featuring characters from four works by Osamu Tezuka, Japan's most famous manga artist: "Astro Boy," "Princess Knight," "Kimba the White Lion," and "Black Jack." Japanese anime is hugely popular in Saudi Arabia, and by using visuals featuring characters from Tezuka Osamu's works, which are beloved by many people, in PR activities and in-store VMD, the worldview of Cool Japan will be promoted to local media and consumers.
【List of Participating Brands】
■Apparel
A DEGREE FAHRENHEIT
FUGAHUM
GASBOOK tee
MOTONARI ONO (Exhibition only)
PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE
SOMARTA
TSUMORI CHISATO
■Fashion Accessories
ASUMI BIJOU (Accessories)
BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE (Bags)
CHISO (Scarves)
Coquette (Bags)
e.m. (Accessories)
Furifu (Japanese accessories)
KEIKO KUROISHI (scarves)
Q-pot. (Accessories)
■Interior goods and stationery
AMABRO (baby and kids' goods, Japanese tableware)
HANAHYAKYO (interior fabric goods)
SWATi (candles)
TOKYU HANDS (stationery and miscellaneous goods)
WASARA (disposable paper tableware)
