As the curtains fell on Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo Autumn/Winter 2024, the streets of Japan’s fashion capital resonated with the echoes of a vibrant, structural evolution. Staged from March 11 to March 16, 2024, this season marked a profound shift for the Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFWO). Operating under the continuous banner of “OPEN, FASHION WEEK,” the AW24 schedule deliberately dismantled the traditional exclusivity of industry-only presentations, inviting the public into the spectacle. A robust roster of 43 brands participated – 35 opting for physical runway shows and eight selecting digital formats – anchoring the sartorial dialogue primarily between the concrete expanses of Shibuya Hikarie and the polished corridors of Omotesando Hills.
This democratisation of the runway arrives at a crucial juncture for the Japanese domestic market. With the fluctuating yen and a post-pandemic hunger for experiential retail, Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo (Rakuten FWT) AW24 transcended mere garment presentation. It became a cultural symposium where avant-garde innovation collided with deeply ingrained street style subcultures, proving that Tokyo remains an unparalleled incubator for global fashion trends.
The Triumph of MASU: Subverting Vintage Americana
The unofficial initiation of the week belonged to Shinpei Goto, the visionary designer behind MASU and the recipient of the prestigious “Fashion Prize of Tokyo 2024”. On March 10, Goto hosted an exclusive “On-Schedule Reception Party” at Shibuya Hikarie, a triumphant homecoming following the brand’s critically acclaimed Paris debut on January 17.
MASU’s AW24 collection demonstrated a remarkable maturation in narrative design. Moving away from the stoic minimalism that often characterises Japanese menswear exports, Goto explored emotional vulnerability. The collection was deeply inspired by themes of loneliness, the melancholy of rain, and nocturnal creatures like bats. Yet, rather than descending into gothic tropes, Goto transformed these perceived “dark” elements through a lens of sparkling positivity and sartorial humour. Utilising recycled vintage materials, the garments subverted classic Americana silhouettes, embedding human stories into the very weave of the fabrics. The resulting aesthetic was one of meticulous craftsmanship wrapped in an approachable, almost whimsical, warmth, setting a high benchmark for the days that followed.
KANAKO SAKAI: The Psychology of Femininity
As the official schedule commenced, the spotlight shifted to KANAKO SAKAI, the deserving winner of the JFW NEXT BRAND AWARD 2024. Unveiling her collection at Shibuya Hikarie on March 13, Sakai delivered a masterclass in intellectual fashion. Her AW24 presentation was heavily rooted in psychoanalytical theory, specifically drawing inspiration from Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams and the complex dichotomy between love and hunger.
Further grounding her collection in historical context, Sakai referenced Marilyn Yalom’s A History of the Breast. This exploration allowed her to interrogate the concept of femininity – a theme she had previously approached with notable caution. The runway showcased garments that examined the female form through various historical lenses: as a nurturer, an object of desire, and a subject of societal concealment. Visually, Sakai continued her brand’s signature methodology, bridging Japanese identity with Western tailoring. She achieved this through the deployment of highly sophisticated, custom-developed materials and a distinct, muted colour palette that spoke volumes without raising its voice. The result was a collection that felt both historically anchored and sharply contemporary.
ANREALAGE HOMME: A Nostalgic Début
The crescendo of the week was undeniably the launch of ANREALAGE HOMME. Kunihiko Morinaga, a designer celebrated globally for his photochromic fabrics and futuristic womenswear, introduced his dedicated menswear line on March 16 at the brutalist Tokyo Telecom Center Building. Titled “début,” the collection operated under the overarching theme of “Everyday and Extraordinary.”
Morinaga used this inaugural menswear outing to pay homage to the free-spirited early 2000s Harajuku scene – the very crucible from which his brand originally emerged. Diverging from the hyper-technical wizardry of his Paris presentations, ANREALAGE HOMME embraced a tactile, craft-heavy nostalgia. The runway was awash with decorative elements: oversized pink buttons, intricate felt flowers, and extensive patchwork designs that felt both chaotic and meticulously curated. Collaborating with heavyweights like Reebok (reimagining the iconic Instapump Fury silhouette), RECOUTURE, and Foot the Coacher, Morinaga successfully married high-concept design with deeply wearable streetwear. It was a love letter to Tokyo’s youth culture, rendered in premium textiles.
International Dialogue: The “by R” Project
While domestic talent formed the bedrock of AW24, Rakuten FWT actively cultivated an international dialogue. This was most prominently realised through the “by R” project, an initiative designed to support and showcase global brands within the Tokyo ecosystem. This season, the Finnish design house Marimekko took centre stage.
The inclusion of Marimekko highlighted a fascinating cross-pollination of aesthetics. The brand’s iconic, bold Scandinavian printmaking found unexpected synergy with Tokyo’s penchant for layered, volume-heavy styling. This strategic internationalism reflects a broader industry trend where fashion capitals are increasingly eschewing isolationism in favour of collaborative global showcases, a shift similarly observed in how Paris Fashion Week has integrated international digital innovation into its historic framework.
The Streets: Y2K Collides with Punk Realism
To understand Tokyo Fashion Week solely through its official venues is to miss half the story. The pavements outside Omotesando Hills and Shibuya Hikarie served as an uncurated, democratic runway where the city’s famed eclectic expression was in full force. This season, the street style was defined by a fascinating collision of Y2K fashion and aggressive punk realism.
Attendees rejected quiet luxury in favour of maximalist individualisation. Micro-skirts and oversized shield sunglasses were ubiquitous, acting as nostalgic nods to the turn of the millennium. However, these elements were subverted with heavy, industrial footwear – most notably the omnipresent Rick Owens tractor boots. Perhaps the most striking micro-trend was the juxtaposition of hyper-feminine pastel tulle layered over distressed, oversized denim, physically secured with aggressive metal hardware, including safety pins and industrial chains.
This sartorial rebellion underscored the enduring legacy of Harajuku subcultures. While historical movements like Decora, Cyberpunk, and Lolita Style were not the primary focus of the official AW24 runway schedule, they remain the vital, beating heart of Tokyo’s street-level fashion discourse. These subcultures continue to operate as self-sustaining communities, heavily influencing the mood boards of the very designers showing inside the tents. The global appetite for this aesthetic remains insatiable; a fact underscored earlier in the season when the iconic Japanese Lolita brand, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, presented a collection at New York Fashion Week. Tokyo’s subcultures are no longer confined to the backstreets of Harajuku; they are exportable cultural phenomena.
The Renaissance of Independent Craftsmanship
Beneath the visual cacophony of the street style and the conceptual weight of the runway shows, a quieter revolution was evident during Rakuten FWT AW24: the renaissance of independent, material-focused craftsmanship. A distinct shift away from the disposable nature of fast fashion permeated the week.
Designers increasingly championed domestic supply chains, forging close partnerships with historic textile mills in regions such as Bishu (renowned for its wool processing) and Okayama (the global epicentre of premium denim). This pivot is partly driven by economic necessity, as importing European textiles becomes prohibitively expensive, but it is primarily a creative choice. By investing in traditional Japanese dyeing techniques, bespoke jacquards, and meticulous hand-finishing, brands are imbuing their garments with a longevity and provenance that fast fashion cannot replicate. Fashion analysts and buyers lauded this structural shift, noting that the focus on profound artisanship secures the future of Japanese fashion on the global stage.
Conclusion
Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo Autumn/Winter 2024 will be remembered as a season of breaking boundaries. Through its “OPEN, FASHION WEEK” initiative, it successfully democratised access, transforming an exclusive industry event into a city-wide celebration of style. From the emotive, vintage-inspired storytelling of MASU and the psychological depth of KANAKO SAKAI, to the nostalgic brilliance of ANREALAGE HOMME, the collections proved that Japanese design is as intellectually rigorous as it is visually arresting.
Simultaneously, the ferocious creativity of the street style outside the venues served as a vibrant reminder that in Tokyo, fashion is never just worn; it is lived, debated, and constantly reinvented. By honouring its rich heritage of craftsmanship and its iconic subcultures while boldly striding into a more inclusive future, Tokyo Fashion Week AW24 cemented its status not just as a calendar obligation, but as the pulsating, indispensable vanguard of global fashion.
