In every era the inventions of Japanese fashion have been fascinating and revolutionary. In the 1920s and 30s Japan saw its own aesthetic form, which had inspired and reinvigorated European art and design since the nineteenth century, reflected back in a glorious Art Deco flapper age.

In the midst of Japan’s economic miracle, the rise of Rei Kawakubo and Comme de Garçon, along with Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto, challenged European attitudes of how clothing and the body can and should go together, deconstructing shape and function, and forming a Japanese style that was truly avant-garde.

Toby Slade investigates these key moments in the history of Japanese fashion, including a consideration of the Slow Life Movement in Japan and its influence on new forms of luxury fashion inspired by the values of simplicity, sustainability and durability.