City Influence: Tokyo

Japan’s fashion industry sets the bar for peerless production, avant-garde creativity and knowledgeable consumers. Though nearly every major metropolis in Japan is rife with boutiques carrying rare wares, Tokyo is the hub of Japanese fashion. Across its neighborhoods, thoroughfares, alleyways and side streets sit luxury designers, indie brands, vintage finds and everything in between.

While Japan’s global fashion reputation stretches back centuries, the country’s recent history begins in the mid-20th century, where secondhand denim jeans traded in post-war Japan led to a fascination with Americana. From there, trends birthed elements of Japanese clothing that exist to this day, from Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto’s exploration of form to gorpcore to workwear. At the same time, imported and homegrown hip-hop music alike generated a nascent streetwear scene, with Japanese designers such as Nigo, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Yoon Ahn pushing the definition of fashion.

Below, get inspired by Tokyo-based brands that reflect the city’s verdant fashion industry, leaving as much of a mark on the city—and the world—as life in the Japanese capital has left upon them.