As a follow up to yesterday's post, I'm republishing today a feature I recently did for another publication about Japanese label Fugahum.
Japanese anime and TV series influenced entire generations of people in different fields, including art, fashion and style: four years ago, Prada designed the costumes for the main heroine in mecha manga Appleseed: Ex Machina, while Givenchy’s S/S 2011 Haute Couture collection was a mix of UFO Robot Goldrake, Mazinger-Z, Muteki Robo Toraidaa Gi Sevun, Future Robo Daltanious and The Unchallengeable Daitarn 3.
Among the most recent series that had an impact on many creative minds, there is pyschological drama Evangelion. Set in 2015 in a post-apocalyptic world, Neon Genesis Evangelion follows the vicissitudes of hero Shinji Ikari, recruited by a secret UN organisation called Nerv to try and save humanity from mysterious enemies called the Angels.
Rather than opting for cosplay, fans of the famous saga have the chance to express their devotion to the series by dressing in garments inspired by Evangelion and produced by contemporary urban brands grouped under the Radio Eva moniker.
The latter is an umbrella-style online retailer that has been creating in the last few years products that move from Evangelion, but are the result of a strong collaboration with brands and shops based in Japan and in other countries as well.
Among the latest Radio Eva collaborations there is the one with Fugahum and with its creative director, contemporary artist Akiyoshi Mishima.
Mishima graduated from Osaka Communication Arts School, used to be a member of art group Enlightenment and has worked with DJs in many different festivals, acting also as VJ. Among the artists collectively exhibiting at the Nanzuka Underground Gallery, Mishima established Fugahum (the name of an imaginary kingdom conceived by Mishima himself) in 2006 with Asuka Yamamoto, who gained her fashion experience working at Yohji Yamamoto.
Fugahum’s creations for Radio Eva include garments with bold prints in bright colours, but also accessories such as jewellery and bags with a futuristic twist.
Some pieces are based and influenced by Evangelion’s Magi computer system with its three distinct bio-computer cores, Melchior-1, Balthasar-2, and Casper-3, modelled on three aspects (scientist, mother and woman) of its developer, Naoko Akagi. Harsh critics will probably dismiss the designs as pieces for geeks, but most of them - the Lee Rider Jackets with symmetrical/asymmetrical zips in the colours of the EVA Units, for example - are actually based on urban and functional moods.
“The Evangelion TV series started over ten years ago, in 1995, and then in 2007 the movie Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone came out proving hugely influential on many people, “ Mishima explains. “While the printed motifs in this collection for Radio Eva were somehow inspired by the Evangelion moods, I would actually say that they come more from the combination of modern street fashion with the Magi system, the biological super-computer developed by Naoko Akagi in the Evangelion series, conceived as Nerv's brain.”
Mishima usually takes care of the clothes concept and the graphics at Fugahum, while his creative partner works on all the other aspects, even though the artist and VJ claims he is more interested in contaminations between different disciplines.
“Art and graphic-wise I would say that up until thirty or even twenty years ago Japan was not as advanced as Paris or New York and wasn’t mature enough to compete with these cities,” Mishima states. “But things have changed now thanks to young Japanese artists and designers who put a lot of energy in developing graphic art and in improving things. You can easily find now in Japan many inspiring people who are movie producers, fashion designers and artists all rolled into one. These people are genuinely mixing culture with their very personal creative spirit and they are the main reason why Tokyo is so special at the moment.”
Images in this post courtesy of Gabriele Semeraro
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I don't know what to say but who done this kind of art for the dress really amazed me.
Posted by: Employment Posters | May 04, 2012 at 08:50 AM