This year’s winners of the Unicorn Fashion Awards 2021 are KoH T, Mikage Shin and Hyunwook Jo. These creative people and their brands are showing us again the importance of the Japanese culture and Asian approach to the fashion world. Their heritage is blending with our heritage to create the fashion a new deal!
How the fashion world will look like, without the Japanese influence?
Asian fashion is still giving the fashion world a new approach to fashion, new concepts and a peculiar but still innovative vision sketching a promising pathway.
Brands show their ability to move in smart cities a new urban context where virtual and physical aspects define the space.
Through our privileged global network of experts we were able - the purpose of the UNICORN FASHION AWARD 2021 Edition is to review the gifted and talented designers with brands from different parts of the world.
We now believe in Asian societies – among them Tokyo is one of the pivotal hub and the main frontrunners to the life-style of the future. Embedding new trends, "savoir faire” and technology in a profound consciousness of the future.
It is inspiring to see virtual and physical reality mixed together with blurred boundaries. This can scare some of us but if lived through with confidence it can open up new scenarios and allow us to discover new world with “augmented” potential.
Inspiration comes from living traditions.
It's impossible to think about our everyday life without kimono sleeve which we all have in our wardrobe or without the fashion designers like Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Yoji Yamamoto or Rei Kawakubo.
Also in the past fashion designers who have changed the vision of the European fashion by creating their collections in Paris in 80’s. French fashion designers like Vionnet, Coco Channel and Yves Saint Laurent were inspired by the Japanese traditional clothes and prints. It is a pleasure to share with you this year’s winners and the feelings of the new wave of talented designers coming from the Japanese background and culture who are ready to share their creative work with the world and expand their influence in the industry and within our societies.
Fashion is poetry which express-the "Thought process" that gives birth to ideas. Competencies, vision and confidence are the pillars of transformation.
WINNER 1: KOH T
We all need a timeless classic wardrobe. A wardrobe that support us in our dynamic life-style and feel comfortable and elegant. As the designer says "everything in this world by nature is beautiful."
Inspired by the ceramic art of Hon'ami Koetsu, a Japanese craftsman in the 1500s, KoH T designed craft-like pieces using black Japanese paper for familiar utilitarian designs. We are also planning to present this heritage in the EurAsian Forum that ERA KI is organizing in 2022 to foster mutual activities between EU and Asia.
This collection embodies urban luxury with profound undertones, deep black, layered fabric and functionality grounded by craftsmanship.
WINNER 2: MIKAGE SHIN
In the world we are living now we definitely need designers like Mikage Shin who can show us that fashion is more than just garments.
The collection is the amalgamation of culture, history and lifestyle with unique prints on weaves and knits, she has created amazing silhouettes for both men and women in her collection.
Life is like a roller coaster and a constant process of change and this collection is created on that thought process and is named as “The Process”. This collection expresses the chaos of the turning point and the sense of something new being born. To create this collection she took inspiration from the past, “a process of change to reach new outcomes.”
WINNER 3: HYUN WOOK JO
This South Korean-Japanese brand aims at providing uniqueness by following the “Repurpose”.
The collection is based on the idea of something which is used in a new and different way from its traditional origin.
We need to see how sharing ideas among different culture triggers new concepts and can make the world move on the pathway indicated by the outstanding Korean fashion designer Hyunwook Jo, who is using the iconic Houndstooth pattern along with the Burberry Tartan weave in his collection in very youthful and elegant way.
His collection truly is a combination of textile and fashion in a contemporary way.
The collection is made with selected & high quality materials and following the OEM process.
EurAsia is the edge one would say. Whereas we believe EurAsia is a common platform for development of human creativity and thriving activities.
Riccardo Aimerito
UNICORN FASHION AWARD - UFA Edition 2021