With Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo coming up from September 2–7, the Japan Fashion Week Organization is prepared to take its internationalization efforts a step further. The event will return for the SS25 season with the theme "Open, Fashion Week," which aims to improve the overall fashion week experience by drawing attention to Tokyo's local fashion scene.
This is clear from the theme for this season, "Fashion Fanfare," which is portrayed through visuals meant to "capture a playful spirit and the excitement leading up to fashion week," according to the organizers. Products from participating firms are showcased in the campaign, which aims to capture "the joy of expressing oneself through personal fashion choices" through a variety of cross-seasonal designs.
This year's calendar includes 33 brands in total; 26 of them will be holding live events and shows, while six will be making their debut. Seven other international labels have also been selected to take part, including the House of Mua Mua, based in Bali, and a collection of Filipino designers working with the Manila Fashion Festival.
Honorary posts offered to Sulvam and Telma by means of encouraging activities Two brands have received honorary seats on the schedule, following tradition, as part of competitive projects meant to showcase regional talent globally. Sulvam is this year's recognized brand for Rakuten's 'by R' project, which has previously included Bape and Marimekko.
Rakuten declared that it would commemorate Sulvam's tenth anniversary with a show featuring the brand's recently released women's collection, ten years after designer Teppei Fujita began the company. Sulvam will now be officially scheduled for Paris Fashion Week SS25 as a result of this nomination, underscoring Rakuten FWT's increased ties to the French capital's event and its goal of forging a bigger presence among a worldwide audience. Rakuten will also assist with the launch of Sulvam's reception event to commemorate the opening of the company's flagship shop in Paris.
Telma by Terumasa Nakajima, which won the JFWO's Next Brand Award Grand Prix recently, is another local label making waves this season. Telma is going to throw an opening runway show to celebrate this accomplishment and start fashion week. At the official location in Shibuya Hikarie, Nakajima will showcase a few pieces from his most recent SS25 collection throughout the occasion.
Enhancing the lineup are prizes, support programs, and educational activities.
A number of other award ceremonies will take place over the week, such as the Tokyo Fashion Award's tenth anniversary celebration on September 1 at Omotesando Hills Space O. This event will honor all of the businesses that have won awards over the last ten years in a public setting with weekly speaker engagements. The announcement of the 2025 edition winner will take place on the same day as a fashion week kick-off celebration. On September 7, the last day, there will be a Fashion Prize of Tokyo ceremony where the winner of the 2025 prize will be announced.
A partnership with Marronnier College of Fashion Design, which will present a runway show on September 7 as part of Rakuten FWT's official schedule, is another effort to support emerging talent. Students from the school will each showcase one piece centered around the theme "Art of Passion," highlighting their "individualistic and youthful talent," as noted in a press release.