Mame Kurogouchi

As Shanghai Fashion Week returns to business as usual, organisers and retailers in Tokyo and Seoul are turning their focus to homegrown talent.

With a focus on reviving Japan’s declining textile industry, the Issey Miyake-trained designer Mame is readying to show her next collection during Paris Fashion Week.

Fashion week in Japan leaves outsiders feeling both highly impressed and highly frustrated, as many talented designers seem uninterested in doing business abroad.