Facetasm, vanguard of new wave of Japanese designers

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jun 23, 2015

Hiromichi Ochiai dreamed about putting on a show on the catwalks of Milan. One month ago, he found out that he had been chosen by Giorgio Armani to present at Armani’s theater during Milan Fashion Week. 

The designer founded his ready-to-wear brand for men and women in 2007, presenting his first collection in 2012. In Milan, he unveiled his ninth collection for spring/summer 2016.

The Japanese designer has put together an original, casually elegant men’s wardrobe with loose and fluid cotton pants that reference traditional Japanese outfits. 

"I love working with contrasts by mixing them. My style comes from the spirit of Tokyo. I do things that you cannot copy abroad," said Ochiai, who previously worked for a small textile company. In fact, all of his fabrics are Japanese.

Facetasm is currently distributed in forty stores, including Dover Street Market, and in the Comme des Garçons store in New York. This designer represents the vanguard of the new wave of Japanese designers, who dream of following in the footsteps of Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto.

This is why the Tokyo Fashion Award was launched at the end of 2014, with six young Japanese fashion brands with potential to grow internationally having been selected.  

For this first 2015 edition there was Facetasm, which will present its collection alongside five of its fellow Japanese brands in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week. From June 26 June to July 1, they will be at the Vanessa Quang Gallery at 7 Rue des Filles du Calvaire (3rd arrondissement).