The relationship between cities and fashion
- Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Paris, London. Why are certain styles so popular in each city?
Clothing is not just about design and materials. What city are you in, how do you travel, and what kind of place are you in? The city's climate, streetscape, working style, shopping style, and accumulated culture all come together to affect how the same item looks on you and how it is chosen.
Here, we will organize the fashion foundations of Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Paris, and London in easy-to-understand terms and connect them to the current atmosphere.
Paris: A city where luxury is an institution
What makes Paris special is that fashion is not just a "culture for fashion enthusiasts," but is supported as a "social system." Paris Fashion Week and haute couture presentations are organized by official organizations and run under certain rules. Furthermore, the term "haute couture" itself has standards in France, and not just anyone can use the term.
Because of this background, in Paris, clothes are often seen as a "continuation of history" before they are "new." Atelier techniques, materials, tailoring, and the manners of the maison are at the center of evaluation, and it is a city where the word "quality" easily comes into play.
Even in an age where lighter everyday clothing is becoming more common, Paris today functions as a place that ultimately returns to "clean lines," "honest materials," and "convincing craftsmanship."
London: A city where tailoring culture and young ideas coexist
London is a city where tradition and modernity coexist in equal measure. It has a tailoring culture symbolized by Savile Row, and the "pattern" of proper clothing remains a part of the city's memory.
On the other hand, there is a strong education and community that produces young designers, and there is an atmosphere in which new forms and strong expressions are readily accepted.
As a result, classic coats and suits in London don't just look conservative. Even if they incorporate slightly extreme proportions, new materials, or ways of breaking things down, they somehow manage to work because of the foundations of tailoring.
Recently in London, the mood has shifted away from "dressing nicely" and towards "dressing at your own pace," with people preferring clothes that are relaxed yet flattering with beautiful lines.
Tokyo: A city where clothes are constantly updated on-site
Tokyo is a city where clothing is constantly updated in everyday life. New stores are born, trends accelerate, and vintage clothing and luxury goods coexist on the same streets. There is an atmosphere where ingenuity in how you wear things and how you combine them are more highly valued than the items themselves.
A distinctive feature of Tokyo is that even a proper coat or tailored suit can change its appearance depending on how it is interpreted by the wearer. A trench coat does not end up being "orthodox," and a black coat does not end up being "just heavy."
In today's Tokyo, to match the information-heavy city, clothing is gradually becoming more focused on a quiet quality that stands out through texture and silhouette, rather than ``obvious flashiness.''
Osaka: A city where fashion blends into daily life and the passion for shopping is alive and well
Osaka is a city where fashion grows close to "real life." The city has a strong shopping culture, department stores and commercial areas have long thrived, and clothing is deeply rooted as a daily pleasure. There are street hubs and a wide range of second-hand clothing outlets.
As a result, the clothes that are popular in Osaka are not just about the look and feel, but also about whether they make you feel good when you actually wear them and whether they can actually be used. Even with classic items, it seems like many people are using accessories and textures to create their own unique style, rather than trying to fit them into a neat style.
Recently, in particular, casual everyday styles that incorporate strong materials such as tailored clothing and leather have become a natural part of the urban atmosphere.
Seoul: A city where newness spreads at the city's pace and reaches you as an experience
Seoul is a city where trends spread very quickly. Fashion doesn't end with shows, but is easily delivered as experiences in the city, at spaces, events, pop-ups, etc. New areas are born, brands gather there, and there's a strong trend for topics to spread quickly from there.
Therefore, in Seoul, it is not just important that the clothes are "good quality," but also that they "fit the current mood" and "how they look in photos and in the space."
Being flashy alone won't last, and good things will endure. The reason why high-quality materials and minimalist clothing have been so popular in Seoul in recent years is that this city is able to quickly distinguish between "fads" and "things you really want."
Changes in cities are changing how we choose our clothes
And now, changes in the climate and working styles are common to every city. The start and end of seasons are becoming harder to predict, people are spending time at home and out, and travel patterns are becoming more diverse. This means that even something as simple as outerwear needs to do more than just keep out the cold.
Lightness, ease of handling, a change of mood, a refined look. It's not so much that cities are changing, but rather that the rhythm of life in cities is changing, and that rhythm is changing how we dress. When you look at it this way, it becomes easier to understand how trends appear and the value of classics.
A word from MOOD
At MOOD, we don't look at cities in terms of "which is superior," but rather in terms of "what meaning the atmosphere of the city gives to clothing." This is because the light and speed of the city can change what kind of coat makes you feel at ease, or what kind of black looks beautiful. On days when you're unsure what to wear, before checking the weather forecast, try to remember the atmosphere of the city you want to walk through that day. I feel like that's how your clothes come together.
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-MOOD POPUP Information-
theme
- MIRAGE -
A place where the contours unravel the moment light touches it.
Next to certainty, a quiet uncertainty rises.
The word mirage refers to a mirage or illusion.
It contains the ambiguity of "it's there, but you can't be sure."
The image fluctuates depending on the angle and distance of your line of sight.
It is a phenomenon in which the boundaries between reality and perception slowly melt together.
The changes create
A slightly floating atmosphere where reality and illusion coexist.
A quiet sense of discomfort that changes every time you look at it.
This time, MOOD will be taking the theme of "mirage" as its theme.
We will open up the space that lies in between, neither clear nor uncertain, in Osaka and Tokyo.
・POPUP in OSAKA
-Date-
12/20(Sat.)
12/21(Sun.)
12/22(Mon.)
-Place-
4-9-11 Minamisenba, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, 542-0081
Raycis Shinsaibashi Building 2F
5 minutes walk from Shinsaibashi Station
・POPUP in TOKYO
-Date-
1/3(Sat.)
1/4(Sun.)
1/5(Mon.)
1/6(Tue.)
-Place-
〒151-0051
3-53-11 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Calm Harajuku 1F
5 minutes walk from Harajuku Station
