TOKYO FASHION WEEK A/W 2026/7

by Cecile Paul · Published April 17, 2026 · Updated April 17, 2026

agnès b., ENFÖLD, YOHEI OHNO, ALAINPAUL, mukcyen, ANTHEM A, KAKAN, någonstans, VIVIANO and RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI

Ten Brands, Ten Moods: Understated Tailoring and Sculptural Layering Define Tokyo, with Subtle Strength and Hand-Fashioned Individuality Spotted Everywhere.

At VIVIANO

Image Credit Tokyo Fashion Week

The recently concluded Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo A/W 2026/7 featured a jaw-dropping 33 collections – 16 of these were international participants, and most of the 33 brands presented runway shows. This season’s theme was ‘Be the seam that connects the world’.

It was a compelling week with offerings that can only described as being rather theatrical! Themes included ‘fashion as a form of artistic expression’, and many collections balanced poetic and artistic expression with the serious mood of the moment: history, identity and peace and prayer.

Many collections featured forward-thinking, avant-garde introspection in design, where form, shape and line were used to depict a luxe aesthetic. Body-hugging garments didn’t feature much whereas voluminous, enveloping, organic shapes were favoured by brands.

Trends included emotional storytelling and social commentary, as seen at RYUNOSUKE OKAZAKI, who used his platform to promote peace and prayer. Brand mukcyen turned to history – and Marie Antoinette in particular – to comment on modern female identity.

Deconstruction of form was another central theme. Designers moved away from traditional, rigid silhouettes towards a new kind of elegance built on distortion and reconstruction. YOHEI OHNO, for example, created sculptural forms by sewing shirts in reverse; similarly mukcyen’s collection was an exercise in deconstruction, taking the corset and pannier and reimagining them as sharp, modern pieces of tailoring.

Craftsmanship and textural innovation ranked high as a trend: there was a renewed and deep appreciation for materials and handiwork as seen in so many collections. For example, mukcyen‘s collection stood out for its textural narrative, using heavy wool, satin and silk organza in a way that felt both traditional and contemporary.

Texture as a key feature, not just a nice-to-have – was a theme too. Knits, for example, in collections like KAKAN’s, were ethereal and light, whereas many collections used fabrics like fleece, neoprene and openwork knits in techniques where these were layered, cut and sewn for effect. Strategically-placed cut-outs added to the sense of depth and layering, showing glimpses of skin to masterful effect. Layering – a key (and very practical) trend in Fall collections, were shown as an aesthetic tool for seasonal dressing.

We’ve identified ten superb collections, and invite you to join us on a little journey through the colourful, crafted wonderland that was Tokyo Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2026/7.

THE COLLECTIONS:

mukcyen

Watch mukcyen’s Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ICJiqdTMu0

The week’s grand finale, one of Tokyo Fashion Week’s most hailed emerging brands and winner of both the JFW Next Brand Awards 2026 and Tokyo Fashion Award 2026, mukcyen held its second runway show.

Hello to a contemporary Marie Antoinette!

Deconstructed 18th-century panniers, corsets and ruffled collars were crafted into sharp, modern, minimalist shapes. Add the oversized, piled-on hairdo’s, and the picture is complete!

The court elements of 18th-century clothing were boldly reimagined through mukcyen’s body-conscious silhouettes and signature versatile pieces.

Shapes, forms and textures became wearable, stylish co-ords in the hands of this very talented designer – perfect for wearers of any age (that’s if you’ll indulge a little theatricality in your day-to-day wardrobe…)

From vest-style tops to voluminous trousers, frilly sleeves to close-cut waistcoats, these pieces were effortlessly chic and quirky.

Think Gothic mystery mixed with Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetics and you’ve nailed the vibe.

At mukcyen

At Mukcyen

At mukcyen

ALAINPAUL

Watch ALAINPAUL’s Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7teHOLHGjHY

ALAINPAUL (a Louis Vuitton protégé no less) presented a reimagined version in Tokyo of their collection ‘Repertoire’ that set runways ablaze at Paris Fashion Week recently.

It was a theatrical collection with elements of dance and ballet in the mix, with pieces ranging from skirts and jackets with oversized pannier hips to theatrical mid-century organza corsets.

Sleeveless sweaters and long gloves in blush pink and pillar box red reminiscent of ballet pointe shoes, came embellished with the daintiest of ribbons.

Oversized pussy-bow ties made for super chic and cosy accessories to perfectly complement knits and lace blouses.

Gathers, ruffles and frills added to the New Romantic feel of the collection. We adore the frilly black leather details on the men’s mini ‘skirt’ – such a chic touch!

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At ALAINPAUL

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At ALAINPAUL

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At ALAINPAUL

ANTHEM A

Launched in 2021, ANTHEM A has rapidly expanded into both women’s and menswear, but here’s the twist… It’s full of contrasts of its own creation!

This brand’s offering effortlessly crosses over the boundaries of gender, culture, historical context and age. There’s a constant push and pull between strength and frailness, tension and release.

Drawing on the world of music where genres flow into each other, ANTHEM A vows to be an ‘anthem’ where freedom and individuality, above all, are celebrated.

Extraordinary Japanese craftsmanship is clearly visible in every piece of tailoring, with texture and colour playing an equal role to that of shape and silhouette.

We love the dystopian elegance of the collection: the velvets, the faux fur, the colour blocking and of course the symphony and synergy between all the different textures – this is an orchestra where every string and woodwind, every brass and percussion instrument, has its place.

At ANTHEM A

ENFÖLD

Watch ENFÖLD’s Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrXaT-ggo3g

Although a first time participant to Tokyo Fashion Week, ENFÖLD, this brand has been around in one form or another since 2000.

True to its name, this brand has been wrapping models and wearers in their signature, cocoon-like pieces made from recycled tech fabrics.

Their voluminous, organic shapes – like shells – give one the impression of protection and even rebirth.

Inspired colour combinations (like aubergine, camel and pillar box red – or apple, olive and black) look effortlessly contemporary and ultra-wearable.

Avant-garde design features like cut-outs and exaggerated circular hips and smart layering add to the allure of this ultra-covetable collection. One can see many of these pieces fitting right into your wardrobe…

At ENFÖLD

KAKAN

Designer Kakan Kudo of Central Saint Martins status, with work experience gained at legends Yohji Yamamoto and Chanel, says of this range born in 1998, “the comfort and pain I feel every day, are expressed in my creation. I design and enjoy making the clothes, hoping that each choice will be an opportunity to live life as you want and as you are”.

Indeed these knitted creations – sculpture really – speak to the emotions, emphasising the complex relationship between clothing and the body, and in particular handcrafted, hand-spun, hand-knitted pieces and the human body.

These pieces are ethereal and light (physically light as well as metaphorically light – even a hand-knitted KAKAN coat weighs less than a kilogram).

These pieces of art cannot but lift the spirit of every wearer, surely?

At KAKAN

någonstans

Watch någonstans’ Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJtqmV2Xmp0

The magical enveloping shapes and forms that någonstans create in felted wool are exaggerated hour-glass silhouettes that are casually nipped in the waist with the aid of the odd corset, belt, cropped jacket or peplum-top.

Trousers, sleeves and skirts embrace circular design elements, giving an aura of volume and shape that is very distinctive.

The striking use of colour (take for example the uncanny but perfect marriage of grey, beige and nude…) adds to the overall appeal of this collection.

This very ‘together’ offering is hands-down one of our favourite collection of the season.

At någonstans

RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI

RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI held their third runway show in Tokyo, and as previously, the brand has yet again focussed on the act of praying.

Known for its distinctive exoskeleton silhouettes, this show entitled ‘Talk About the Habit’ incorporates the key elements that the brand is known for, adding new vibrant floral, python and leopard prints to the mix. This illustrates how humans imitate nature through clothing and its power to evoke emotions.

Says the designer, a prayer is never confined to just a single emotion, but instead could encapsulate a whole range: joy, sorrow, anger, sadness, pleasure, etc. “In one moment we may receive sadness and suffering through a screen, then switch to having to smile at the person beside us – these are the kinds of contradictions we engage in. I realized that I’m not creating while praying, but rather remaining in a state of prayer.”

The metal accessories in this collection were created by artist Ittetsu Tsuji, a close friend of the designer. RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI, who hails from historic Hiroshima, wants the brand’s underlying ‘prayer’ theme to act as a wish for peace in this world.

At RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI

VIVIANO

VIVIANO Sue was the recipient of the Tokyo Fashion Award in 2022, and it’s easy to see why.

VIVIANO’s distinctive signature looks lie somewhere between the Eighties’ New Romantics and the late 19^th Century Pre-Raphaelites, with frothy tulle skirts, pussy-bow blouses, dreamy puff sleeves, sheer layers, little military-style jackets – and big frizzy, romantic hairstyles. It’s a tried-and-tested look, and one that we’ll never tire of.

This season’s offering with its drapery, layering, gathered and tiered tulle skirts juxtaposed with either stiff blazers or faux fur coats, is totally captivating. It’s also somewhat deconstructed this season, perhaps signalling a more mature and edgy mood to the brand?

At VIVIANO

YOHEI OHNO

Tokyo-based YOHEI OHNO gave us a masterclass in sculptural minimalism, using single-needle stitching and raw edges to transform heavyweight felt into floating, architectural spheres.

It was also a masterclass in avant-garde design, rethinking the relationship between clothing and the body, redefining shape and form as aspects that don’t necessarily need to closely mimic the lines of the human body to be aesthetic.

YOHEI OHNO’s designs push the boundaries of conventional form and embrace beauty outside of conventional norms.

We adore the surreal caps with their one-eye, as well as the mix of textures and shades within the ensembles, and last but not least, the space-age shoes!

At YOHEI OHNO

agnès b.

Watch agnès b.’s Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS34EVssTlc

Paris in Tokyo! Stalwart designer brand agnès b. grounded the week with timeless, effortless chic, reworking classic marinières and cropped cardigans in cozy alpaca blends, a reminder of Parisian easy nonchalance to the backdrop of Tokyo’s avant-garde mood.

To a special remix of French band Air’s ‘Sexy Boy’, models strutted their stuff in striped T-shirts, little black dresses and even tartan suits.

For designer Agnès Troublé Japan holds a very special place in her heart: just like in her native France, in Japan tradition and modernity co-exist happily. Similarly, craftsmanship and design are revered in both countries. A match made in heaven!