The Japan is undoubtedly the number one country in terms of streetwear clothing ! In the land of the rising sun, it is not uncommon to come across people with very atypical looks, but the style that stands out the most is obviously: streetwear.
There are many creators and designers in Japan, they are very talented and recognized throughout the world, they are the very essence of streetwear, they are constantly able to renew themselves in order to evolve over time and offer models that always best meet the demands of Tokyo's youth.
Bape is undoubtedly the mark of Japanese streetwear the most popular, it is thanks to it that light was shed on many other Japanese brands which deserved to be known! Today, in 2023, it is not uncommon to find the most influential celebrities on the planet dressed in japanese clothing, American or French influencers, including the greatest athletes, more and more people proudly display large Japanese streetwear brands, so are you ready to be part of the movement?
For a long time, the Japanese dressed traditionally and no other style was allowed, it was only in 1989 that the DJ Hiroshi Fujiwara will introduce this new look within the archipelago. Little by little, young people will identify with him and want to adopt the same style, so it is at this moment that they will exchange their traditional outfits (kimono, yukata, etc.) for much more outfits. modern with a 100% streetwear look. Even if the transition from traditional to streetwear did not happen in the blink of an eye, it was still quite rapid, however, older people continue to dress traditionally.
A neighborhood name stands out a lot when we talk about streetwear: Harajuku, it is a sub-district forming part of the Jingumae district in Shibuya Ward in Tokyo. Still in the 90s, a little after the DJ we talked about just before made streetwear known in the heart of the Japanese archipelago, the Japanese youth who were present in Harajuku as part of their studies, will totally adhere to the streetwear movement and sportswear. Japanese students will dress in hoodie or even cargo pants, but also of jean ample, the look oversize which is very popular today was actually already in the 90s.
In this blog article, we will see together the top 15 Japanese streetwear brands, as you must suspect, there are countless brands, we obviously won't be able to list them all, we will simply focus on the most popular and most promising of recent years.
1. BAPE (A BATHING APE)
We have already discussed it just before, how can we not mention the one which is undoubtedly the the most famous brand of Japanese streetwear : BAPE. Known mainly under the name BAPE, it still has two derivative brands: by A Bathing Ape - AAPE And Busy Working Lady - BAPY.
BAPE was founded in 1993 by good luck (Tomoaki Nagao), et dispose today of around twenty stores in Japan as well as other stores present in large cities such as New York or Paris, but as you surely suspect, it is on its online store that the brand carries out the biggest of its turnover!
2. MY JAPAN CLOTHES (JAPAN MOOD)
Created in 2018 by two friends who are fans of asian culture after a long trip to Asia, Japan Mood is a Japanese shop bringing together both streetwear clothing as well as traditional clothes. There is something for everyone, from simple streetwear cap At Japanese sukajan, passing through the traditional kimono or any other kind of yukata, you will have understood, Japan Mood is paradise for any fan of country of the rising sun !
If you want to adopt a look straight out of the Harajuku district, then you are in the right place! The clothes available on the site are directly imported from Japan in order to offer you an extraordinary customer experience, in fact, Japan Mood works in close collaboration with world-renowned designers living in Japan for many years, which allows them to constantly renewing the looks available on their site.
Latest novelty, in addition to the wonderful streetwear hoodie Or other streetwear shirts that the brand offers, they recently decided to create a Glow up collection in limited edition, there won't be something for everyone, and believe us, it's worth a look!
3. UNDERCOVER
Undercover is one of the most influential streetwear brands today! The founder Jun Takahashi has notably carried out numerous collaborations with world-famous brands such as Nike, Valentino, Converse and many others... The slogan of this brand is "We make noise, not clothes", which means in French "We make noise, not clothes", this sentence is proof of the motivations of the designer whose sole goal is to revolutionize the world of streetwear.
Many people may find that streetwear looks "badly dressed" because of its "street" side, if you want to adopt a certainly streetwear look, while remaining elegant, then Undercover is the brand for you! What mainly characterized it is the mixture of two inspirations, the culture pop and thepunk aesthetic.
4. YOHJI YAMAMOTO
Yohji Yamamoto is part of most famous Japanese fashion designers ! The main particularity of this brand is that its creator works essentially with the noir, and it is not his numerous collaborations with major brands such as Doc Martens or Adidas that will have changed Mr Yamamoto's artistic direction! So you will have understood it, if you are a fan of colorful clothes, this brand is not for you.
The prices still remain very high because it is a Japanese luxury brand, in addition to these collaborations with big brands, it has also collaborated with very big artists like Elton John and Takeshi Kitano.
Yohji Yamamoto's style is an oversized and asymmetrical style, in addition to its online store, the brand has five physical stores placed in strategic locations in the heart of large cities such as Paris or Omotesando.
5. VISVIM
Visvim is probably the contemporary streetwear brand the most popular on our list, it was founded in 2001 by Hiroki Nakamura in Tokyo, in the district of Harajuku, which over the years has become a reference district in terms of streetwear. This brand has been worn by very well-known artists, among them: A$AP Rocky, Drake, Kanye West, and the list goes on.
Visvim's most popular article is FBT, this famous shoe with a special look! It was actually as a simple shoe store that Visvim first saw the light of day, before now offering a complete range of streetwear clothing each one more original than the other.
The creation of the clothes that make up this great brand is mainly inspired by the travels made by Hiroki Nakamura, the latter uses textiles rares in order to offer clothing of a superior quality. By choosing Visvim, you are choosing a real high-end Japanese brand, and the prices are unfortunately felt, count on more than 400 euros for a simple cap.
6. CAV EMPT
Cav Empt is the abbreviation of "Caveat Emptor", which means in Latin "buy carefully". This brand of Japanese streetwear is very popular among young people, this popularity can be explained by the fact that it is worn by many public figures, such as for example the YouTuber PewDiePie who has undoubtedly strongly contributed to its growth.
The creators of Cav Empt are SK8thing (graphic designer at BAPE) And Toby Feltwell (artistic director of the clothing line by Pharell Williams). The clothing offered can therefore easily be described as high-end clothing, moreover, the experience of the creators of this brand brings a real plus and offers us bold designs and a retro-futuristic style.
7. CAPITAL
The brand Capital was created in the 1980s, at the beginning it simply specialized in jeans, before becoming a streetwear brand in its own right. It is rather intended for an audience avant-garde, loving them offbeat looks and fan ofunconventional aesthetic.
Kapital was born from the collaboration between a father and his son: Toshikiyo Hirata And Kiro Hirata, they are very concerned about the use of techniques put in place by thetraditional Japanese crafts and ensures that these are respected to the letter by their employees.
The flagship product of the Kapital brand is the indigo jean, remember that the brand is based in Which ones Who is here denim capital of Japan, it is therefore not surprising that the flagship product of the Hirata family's creations is jeans. Finally, just like Bape, Kapital has a sub-label called Country.
8. KIKS TYO
Founded in 2006 in Tokyo, Kiks Tyo is the creation of the DJ and designer Shinichi Izaki, it is a brand specialized in casual accessories such as hats, sunglasses, wallets, bags, etc... But that's not all, Kiks Tyo remains a streetwear brand in its own right and obviously offers pants, t-shirts, sweatshirts or other japanese sweaters.
9. MASTERMIND JAPAN
If you want a luxury streetwear brand, SO Mastermind Japan is made for you! Each item is produced in Japan, a true guarantee of quality for fans of the brand. Masaaki Homma (creator of Mastermind Japan) loves to do a series of collaborations and offer limited edition capsule collections, each time it is a real success and the drops end up sold out in no time, he has notably collaborated with Adidas, Bamford Watch Department , Dover Street Market, and many more...
If we dwell a little more on the story of Masaaki Homma, imagine that he worked as a salesman in a boutique Yohji Yamamoto for eight years! It was only in 1997, after leaving Yohji Yamamoto, that he decided to create his own brand: Mastermind Japan, which is still enjoying incredible success even after so many years, the story is beautiful.
10. COMME DES GARÇONS
Also known by the initials CDG, the brand Like boys is very famous in Japan, it was launched in 1969 in Toyko about Reil Kawakubo and initially only sold women's clothing, the company will be officially created in 1973.
After having experienced real success with its feminine collections, the first line of men's clothes of Comme des Garçons only appeared in 1978. CDG stands out from the others due to the creation of unique pieces with inspirations streetwear.
Although today the brand offers very colorful looks, this was not always the case, in fact, during the launch of CDG in Paris in 1981, Reil Kawabuko even caused controversy because of the predominant presence of black as well as the use of unusual fabrics (aged ).
11. WACKO MARIA
Wacko Maria is a Japanese men's clothing brand. She was very inspired by music (rock in particular) and partying in general. Created in 2005 by the footballer Atsuhiko Mori, Wacko Marria was basically a simple brand within a rock bar in the center of Toyko.
But then what is the style of this clothing brand ? We could describe the style of the Wacko Maria brand as "kitsch", in fact, it is quite a brand atypical offering unique and high-quality looks color, generally oversize.
One of the most popular products offered by the brand is undoubtedly the embroidered bombers, it has enjoyed great success in Japan, particularly in the neighborhoods of Harajuku in which streetwear is a true way of life.
12. LEAVE
go away is the Japanese word meaning "black", created in 2010, this streetwear brand is relatively new compared to the brands mentioned so far in this article. The creator of Kuro is Yusuke Yabashi, the brand was notably revealed during the world-renowned trade fair in Pitti Uomo, its goal is to create a link between heritage and modernity.
Yusuke Yabashi makes it a point of honor that each creation of his brand is developed by the best Japanese artisans in order to carry out weaving, spinning but also dyeing processes, which requires particular experience and which offers a real guarantee of quality for all the brand's customers.
Although we can describe the creations of the Kuro brand as minimalist, it remains incredibly innovative, Yusuke Yabashi is known worldwide in the world of mode for its ability to constantly evolve and offer new sewing methods and the use of original materials, its desire is truly to preserve the Japanese culture and to highlight this famous Japanese craftsmanship. As you might expect, all Kuro brand products are obviously made in Japan.
13. FACETASM
The brand Facetasm is the work of the creator Hiromichi Ochiai, this ready-to-wear brand for men and women was created in 2007, its first collection will only see the light of day in 2012, which makes it, like Kuro, a relatively recent brand.
The Japanese designer offers a men's wardrobe original and relaxed with, for example, cotton pants with a loose and fluid look that directly refers to the traditional Japanese outfits.
THE Facetasm knitwear are made of very fine mesh, the brand is particularly known for its somewhat daring color combinations which at first glance do not necessarily match together but which ultimately gives a really nice visual. If you are a fan of style oversize and you are looking for a look bold And eccentric, then you will definitely love the Facetasm brand, Hiromichi Ochiai is really keen to bring out this side street culture.
14. NEIGHBORHOOD
Founded in 1994 Shinsuke Takizawa, Neighborhood stood out at the time by being inspired by the passion of its creator: motorcycles. The basic concept of the brand is therefore to revisit basic pieces originally from the world military, from moto or even outerwear.
The style of the Neighborhood brand can be characterized by casual, in fact, the clothes offered are everyday clothes that adapt to any style of environment, although we can also find within the different collections, more daring and more atypical bringing out a little more japanese style.
15. WTAPS
The brand Wtaps was launched in 1996 by Tokyo Tetsu Nishiyama, it is the last brand in our top 15 and as you have surely noticed, most of the popular streetwear brands were created in Tokyo.
Tetsu Nishiyama's philosophy is easily summed up in this phrase "placing things were they should be" which means in French "place things where they should be".
The majority of Wtaps brand creations are made up of denim and offers a comfortable fit and therefore therefore a casual look. We easily find this Japanese urban style so much sought after by Japanese youth but also more generally by youth in general because the japanese style has really been able to export itself over the years in order to reach a greater number of people.
JAPANESE STREETWEAR - THE FUTURE OF FASHION
Thanks to this article you are now a real pro in terms of Japanese streetwear, we have introduced you to 15 marques streetwear au style nippon which will allow you to update your wardrobe in order to adopt a japanese style.
Although many people think that the height of the japanese fashion has already taken place, this is not our case, we believe that the best years are yet to come and that the future will be bright for fans of japanese clothing.
The Urahara movement had such an impact that it was able to seduce a lot of people, so much so that in the 2000s it was exported in order to directly inspire Western youth, it is from this moment that the style which was until here described as "underground" will give way to the term streetwear.
Many brands continue to emerge, whether small brands or large brands, Japanese creators constantly push the limits set by fashion and know how to adapt and evolve with the passing years in order to always satisfy the greatest number of people.
Finally to end this article, if we had to choose a single brand from this top 15, we would choose the brand My Japan Clothes, in fact, the latter perfectly reflects the style Harajuku and offers asian looks each one more original than the other. Although the majority of brands offer pretty models, most of them are very expensive. What makes the Japan Mood brand best is obviously the very affordable prices it offers. The styles offered on this Japanese shop are very varied, so they will easily please a large number of fans of asian culture, if you liked streetwear then you will love them japanese pants, t-shirts, bombers, and if you are more traditional then you will definitely like the traditional kimonos, yukata and other sukajan, it's up to you!
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