Pillings Tokyo Spring 2026
If you want a broad yet accurate window into what a lot of Japanese menswear looks like right now, this debut show from Ancellm provides it. The brand’s first runway show in Tokyo marks five years since the brand’s inception; it unfolded in front of an audience just shy of 1,000 people, in the vast and glassy Triangle Plaza of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building.
Based in founder Kazuya Yamachika’s hometown of Okayama—an area near Hiroshima known for its wealth of factories and manufacturers—the brand produces much of its clothing locally. Known for crafty and innovative distressing techniques, Ancellm bleaches, sands, and smatters with paint everything from denim jeans to leather jackets, giving its collections a worn-in feel that is uniformly soft to the touch.
Oversized linen tailoring with raw hems, rough-collared button-ups, faded workwear jackets, distressed knits, and floaty pants made up the bulk of the offering, with a consistent note of boho-chic throughout. There was also a ton of dark brown (seemingly ubiquitous in menswear at the moment) that speaks to the slow, earthy mood of the brand and the obviously tactile fabrics it plays with.
Speaking backstage following the show, Yamachika explained that the collection was something of a study in color (he develops his hues from scratch). We went from the aforementioned brown through mustard yellow, deep reds, blanched denim blues, khakis, and intentionally dirtied whites (plus an excellent quilted Barbour-style jacket in an iridescent navy). “There wasn’t a particular theme this time, but I wanted people to see the gradations all the way to the end,” he said.
At 40 looks, however, the collection lost momentum by the halfway point. The problem with presenting lots of clothes with no obvious through-line or cultural reference points is that eventually it ossifies into plain old product. This is all well and fine (Ancellm is reportedly selling very well in Japan and abroad), but going forwards the proposition on the runway would benefit from less stuff and more bite.
Harunobumurata Tokyo Spring 2026
Conrad Tokyo has launched an Outside Catering Service that combines its culinary excellence and renowned hospitality to meet the rising demand for flexible event catering across diverse venues in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The new offering marks a significant milestone in the luxury hotel’s ongoing mission to deliver purposeful service for today’s discerning leisure and business clientele, especially as Conrad Tokyo celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. It builds on the property’s legacy of hosting large-scale events and international sporting occasions.
Event organizers can utilize the service for indoor and outdoor events as varied as exhibitions, opening ceremonies, corporate celebrations, and bespoke gatherings. From refined coffee breaks and elegant lunches to lavish buffets and gala dinners, every detail is crafted by the hotel’s team to elevate attendee satisfaction.
The service brings Conrad Tokyo’s signature blend of Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine to events of any size, transforming each occasion into an elevated dining experience. Each menu is thoughtfully curated to reflect the client’s vision, dietary preferences, and event concept.
The service is designed to mirror the elegance and precision of Conrad Tokyo’s in-house service, with dedication to understanding client preferences and planning every detail, from menu selection to service protocols. In addition to F&B, options include use of tableware, cooking equipment, chefs, and staff, as well as elements such as sound, lighting, direction, and entertainment.
“In today’s dynamic event landscape, there is a growing demand for sophisticated and flexible catering solutions that transcend traditional hotel venues. Our Outside Catering Service addresses this need by bringing our world-class culinary expertise and exceptional service directly to our clients’ chosen locations,” said Neil McInnes, general manager.
“We take a tailored approach, customizing menus and service styles to suit the unique theme, audience, and venue of each occasion. From site inspections to logistics and on-the-day coordination, we ensure seamless execution at every stage. Flexible and easy to work with, we adapt to our clients’ needs and timeline, providing a smooth, stress-free planning process from start to finish,” said Katherine Panahon, director of sales.
“We are committed to delivering unparalleled culinary experiences that reflect our passion for excellence and genuine hospitality. Our team of talented chefs and service staff works meticulously to ensure every event, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations, is infused with the same high standards and attention to detail that define our daily offerings,” said Masashi Mizuguchi, executive chef.
Reservations and inquiries:
+81 (0)3-6388-8255
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https://conrad-tokyo.hiltonjapan.co.jp/mice/lp/catering-en
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The buzziest womenswear debut on Tokyo Fashion Week’s slimmed down schedule this season is Yuka Kimura, a 27-year-old Yohji Yamamoto alum who started her own brand, Mukcyen (pronounced muh-shan), in 2023. Kimura is the winner of the JFW Next Brand Award 2026, and thus kicked off a week of shows with her first outing for the brand.
The show unfolded in a Dune-like palette of skintight dresses, while the thick leather harnesses, corset jerkins, and chainmail detailing lent a medieval-vampire dark fantasy vibe. Layered cupro dresses, tops, and leggings clung and hung from the body like bandages. Appropriately these looks were part of what the designer is calling the “second skin series,” and had been infused with oil, which Kimura said increases the skin’s moisture content. Clothing meets skincare—handy.
There were deconstructed pink velour tracksuits too, and some of the models nursed small beaten-up teddy bears on their sleeves, but any softness was neutralized by the dangerous-looking silver claws from Tokyo-based jewelry designer Fangophilia. Kimura, who has bleached hair and eyebrows and wears a lot of body-con black, said of her aesthetic: “I like to look serious rather than fun.”
As well as a designer, Kimura is an influencer who has built a 200k-strong social following, her feed populated with the same dystopian techno-goth vibes as her runway. And while it would be easy to write her off as another fashion Instagrammer starting their own vanity brand, the fashion talent and potential was clear at this first outing. You could certainly see those second skin dresses on Tokyo’s edgiest club kids. “The ideal person I’m envisioning is someone who is assertive and unyielding,” she said. “It’s about more than just being popular; I want the women who wear my clothes to feel self-assured.”
Welcome to the house of Khoki. The Tokyo-based collective of anonymous designers always puts a huge fabric door on the entrance to its showroom installations, but this year crafted an entire fabric house in the center of the room. It was representative of what the brand values: craft, familiarity, whimsy, and—most importantly of all—teamwork. The group doubled its staff from three to six people in the past year, yielding some fresh ideas (the Khoki collective is a democracy, where every suggestion gets equal consideration).
A couple of the most interesting ideas came from a new member: a set of metal cutlery—a knife, fork and spoon—shrink-wrapped into the sides of leather bags, and a tiny sewing kit sealed into leather card cases. A potential nightmare at airport security, but cool to look at. “I think that an item like this can only be created by working as a team, because it wouldn’t come from my own brain,” said Koki Abe, the collective’s figurehead. “I feel like it’s a good way to do things, I want to continue to push forward in this way.”
While last season was more rooted in a solid narrative, this collection took a freer approach, explained Abe. “It’s a season that incorporates updates to previous products and new concepts,” he said. Shibori, a historic Japanese tie-dyeing technique, was central to the collection, creating colorful circular patterns that were printed across tailored trousers, faded T-shirts, and sleek leather jackets, so that they resembled mandalas. Bleu de travail jackets were reimagined into soft button-up sweaters; oversized tailoring, military jackets, and cargo pants were artfully faded or spliced together; while delicate white lace and broderie anglaise patched up the torn knees of blue denim jeans.
The designers had also been exploring how to bring vintage references and casual styles into a high-fashion, luxury context. “Whether that’s dressy fabrics, or fabrics that feel right for the moment, we’re looking for combinations and processing methods that can be worn in slightly more formal settings,” said Abe. “One of our missions is to make clothing fun by using our pattern-making skills and combining new things together.”
Indeed, Khoki’s sense of fun is ever-present. The team’s gallimaufry of references at times risks verging on a class project with too many kiddie cooks, but Abe is always able to guide his crew to a place that feels cohesive and comfortable. Not a house after all, but a home.
Let it be known that Akiko Aoki does not go to the convenience store in her pajamas. While it is not uncommon nowadays to schlep to the 7-Eleven in one’s sweatpants and slippers, the designer has too much self-respect for that. “I have to dress up a little bit first!” she said after her show this season, which took place on a Monday afternoon in a Tokyo gallery.
The line between the uniforms we wear for the world and what we put on purely for ourselves was front and center in Aoki’s mind this season. “The mood these days has become very ‘anything-goes,’” she said, not just referring to fashion. “I think that has some very positive aspects, but at the same time, I feel a bit stressed by the over-saturation of it all.” She sought comfort instead in the idea of dress codes, blending the rigor of uniform with the casual elements of the modern age.
The first look was a nude skirt that recalled shapewear, spliced diagonally below the crotch with the waistband of some tailored trousers. Sweatpants were slashed into wide-leg pants with the lining exposed, while hoodies were reimagined into camisoles, their sides removed to expose the skin, arms tied up at the front. A white pique polo shirt was elongated into an asymmetrical maxi dress that wrapped around the body and was laced up across the back like a corset, while gothic inflections of white lace—one of Aoki’s signatures—appeared as sailor collars on tailored jackets, and on the panels of sheer skirts.
Aoki’s recognizable aesthetic, with its deconstructed tailoring and subversive feminine silhouettes, is something the designer has been refining since she began her brand back in 2014. Her shoes, too, have become a common sight on the streets in Seoul and Tokyo (they have been worn by Blackpink’s Jennie, which promptly sent them viral). Whether she can appeal in the West, however, remains to be seen.
This was an interesting outing that combined all manner of lingerie and tailoring references for a high-minded proposition that, with all of its complications, occasionally felt chaotic. Still, you could never accuse any of it of being sloppy. Those elasticated silk skirts and waist-tie boyfriend shirts were elegant and easy: both runway-ready and, yes, the perfect thing to throw on for a late-night snack run.
Tamme’s Tatsuya Tamada lives in his studio and works all the time, but when he does take a break he’ll cycle around Tokyo before stopping somewhere to chill out and people-watch. When working on this season, he pedaled down to the bustling districts of Shinagawa or Shibuya and observed a charming shift that happens among commuters during the evening rush hour.
“At work there’s a sense of discipline—a uniform, and the need to be neat and tidy,” said Tamada. “But once the day is over you can see that people kind of relax a little, as if they’re switching from group time to individual time.” He watched business men heading home after work, their shirts rumpled and their ties skew-whiff, unraveling into normal people rather than office workers. “Tired Girl” might be the latest TikTok beauty trend, but for Tamme, it’s Tired Salaryman that’s the look of the season.
Tokyo’s offices are relatively formal, even during ‘Cool Biz’ (the government-approved summer period where liberal office dress codes are introduced in order to reduce air-con usage), which gave Tamada’s work a curious tension. “This kind of desperate effort to be yourself within a disciplined framework has been around for a long time, and is something I’ve always thought was interesting,” he said. “Many of the designs in this collection have a dual structure. I wanted to express this idea of people who appear to be neat and tidy but are really a bit rough, or people who appear to be free-spirited but are very sensitive on the inside.”
Softly tailored suits were covered in wrinkles, while button-up office shirts were given double collars that peeled away to reveal the contrasting layer beneath. Somber navies and grayscale dominated the collection, but the crumpled tank tops and office shirts were peppered with the faintest milky green and buttery yellow. There were also nods to manual labor in the robust cotton duck hooded jackets and work pants, plus some denim pieces that were whiskered with fading that suggested the wearer had been sitting down.
Tamada, a former Sacai pattern cutter, is adept at melding the worlds of military wear and tailoring, and his pieces are always made with plenty of design details and adjustments that make you feel you’re getting your money’s worth. Loose striped neckties that attach at the neck with a silver popper are one of the brand’s signatures. In this season’s lookbook, the ties that are slung over the shoulder are no editorial styling trick: Tamada made sure the shirts had loops under the backs of their collars, so the ties can be threaded through and worn like this, should the wearer be so inclined. It’s clever detail that shows Tamada’s meticulous approach, and testifies to his own hard work.
Ryunosuke Okazaki is doing it all the wrong way around. Starting on September 13, the 30-year-old designer will have a month-long exhibition dedicated to his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Usually designers have to wait until they’re dead for that kind of honor. And here’s the real kicker: Okazaki has never sold a single item of ready-to-wear clothing.
Like Rorschach prints made fashion, his works are created through a process the designer likens to prayer, and are inspired by the animistic spirituality of Japan’s peaceful Jomon period, notably its pottery. The V&A showcase, called JOMONJOMON, marks the designer’s European debut, but not his global one: one of Okazaki’s dresses was chosen for the Met Museum’s “Sleeping Beauties” exhibition last year, and he has held exhibits of his work in Hong Kong and Beijing.
This latest collection, which is his largest yet at 29 looks, and his first in over a year, marks a turning point. To explain the evolution, Okazaki held a special walkthrough at his home in Tokyo, where he had prepared a small army of mannequins that looked like cosmic gods. Great curves swept over the human forms in gold, mint, and black. Other pieces were cherry blossom pink, ending in two curved points that crossed over at the feet, or expanding from the body like a flower or an alien exoskeleton.
Where Okazaki’s dresses thus far have been mostly made of linear structures, this time there were more fabrics and draping, nudging his work gently into the direction of genuine wearability. “I’ve been thinking about doing ready-to-wear for a while, and I’m finally making progress on that,” he said. The collection also includes his first ever accessories: Vibram-soled Chelsea boots decorated with undulations of faux leather at the sides, and black and burgundy handbags that curve into smiling sculptures. He is currently working on an e-comm site to make them available to buy. And though he has previously resisted fashion’s traditional show schedule (this collection is officially titled 004, not SS26), Okazaki also said he intends to begin making seasonal collections.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, the designer’s hometown. “I think it’s a good time for people all over the world to think about what happened there. I hope [my work] will give people a chance to think, even if just a little, and I think it’s important that we continue to assert that war is pointless.”
Gathered in Okazaki’s sunlit living room, his creations took on a celestial presence, as though a council of wise and ancient beings from a more enlightened time had descended to earth to hold court. “I intend them to evoke a sense of the power of life,” he said. They are powerful works that will rightly be committed to fashion’s history books; in the meantime they carry a message that deserves to be shown far and wide. Can a bunch of strange-looking dresses really inspire hope for humanity? Of course they can. Go and see for yourself at the V&A next month.
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