Third blog of the day, and the last. I am just making up for lost time, and the holidays are sure to get in the way of blogtime. FINALLY some fashion news combining a few of my fave things...
Art & Commerce:
The United States and Japan are officially in a recession. The art auction phenomenon has finally slowed, and fashion brands are tightening their logo belts for a dreary winter. Despite the holiday lights that brighten the streets of Tokyo’s upscale shopping neighborhoods, the mood at retail is not one of confidence.
However, Tokyo is a city of surprise and has its most fun by defying the world. For two weeks starting on November 1, two of its most famous creative entrepreneurs, Hiroshi Fujiwara, the mercurial culture curator and stylist/designer, collaborated with Takashi Murakami, one of today’s most influential artists, to produce “Hi & Lo” at Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki Gallery.
“The idea originated when Murakami told me about the role of an advisor for art,” Fujiwara said. “He thought I could advise people on what to buy now, which artist is hot. Then he had the idea of showing my collection because I might have a strange taste in art.”
As the show’s title suggests, the art on display was an eclectic mix of Fujiwara’s collection paired with original art by him with Murakami and new paintings created by Murakami for the show. High and low — “from the unknown to famous, cheap to expensive,” as Fujiwara described it — was not only represented by the art on the walls but also by a collection of exclusive products designed by Fujiwara and his label, Fragment, available for sale in the gallery. The products, all of which are available at Honeeye.com — included collaborations with the highly influential Tokyo shoe brand VisVim, Kangol caps, Head Porter tote bags and Fenom denim jeans (yet another Fujiwara collaboration through Fragment and Levi’s). Also presented were a series of original T-shirts featuring Fujiwara’s art. Murakami put his stamp on the sneakers, bags and jeans, adding his iconic flower character to their design.
“Hi & Lo” was a small but powerful showcase for these two friends, who put it together not only because they could, but because they knew there would be legions of fans who would be willing to line up for the opportunity to participate (i.e., buy). Both are heroes for Japanese youth because they have won on their terms, defying the conventions of the West and staying true to their own Japanese DNA. They are true individuals in this often rigid society.
Murakami has said that he would like the show to represent the beginning of a new art movement in Japan, linking the worlds of art and fashion. It is refreshing to see these two influencers daring to do something different in Tokyo’s current climate. After all, having fun never ceases to inspire.
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