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We don’t mean to toot our own horn (OK, maybe we do!), but when it comes to fashion, we’re known for bringing you the very best. As part of our ongoing quest for the best, our team travels the world to bring you the hottest fashion from overseas as well. Sit in as designer Sarah and buyer Jennifer debrief us on their recent recon mission to Tokyo, arguably the world’s most avant-garde fashion capital.
Had either of you ever been to Japan before?
Sarah: I have, but it’s been quite a few years.
Jennifer: And it was my first time.
And what were your impressions of it?
J: As far as Tokyo in general, it was very clean. People were very respectful, everyone was very nice. And the fashion, everyone knew how to put random stuff together and they looked amazing.
S: I [feel] like a lot of people shop Europe for fashion, but it seems like Tokyo is always a little bit more advanced in how they dress. Europe and the U.S. are very similar now. The fashion on the streets [in Japan] is what’s really great.
Where exactly in Tokyo did you visit? Which districts?
S: We were in Harajuku and Shibuya. Those were the main two areas. We were really only there for a day and a half, so we had to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time [laughs].
What was the main purpose of your trip?
S: Market research. Prior to Tokyo, we went for product development, so [Jennifer] went to Vietnam, and then I met up with her in Shanghai, so it was me going to our factories. So then we decided since we were over there, we could take the Tokyo trip.
How did you [Jennifer] get picked for that? I bet a ton of people wanted to go!
J: Yeah, it was a great experience. It was awesome! Being in bottoms, and specifically in denim, we do a lot of production over in Vietnam and in China, and I had never been so it was a great opportunity for me to go. A couple of the other buyers have been overseas now. We take turns [laughs].
Why do you think it’s important to see what people are wearing around the world?
S: In order for us to get ahead and be on trend at the right time, it’s important for us to see how other people are putting it together as well. All the other retailers are shopping worldwide as well, so we need to be competitive and see what’s going on.
J: Yeah, and we have the advantage of living in L.A., which is a huge center for the United States. So, you know, it’s in our backyard. We always shop there, so the next place we would go would be overseas.
Did you buy anything fashion-related while you were there?
J: Tons! The main thing was, I’d have to say, skirts, and I’m sure Sarah would agree.
S: Yes, skirts were a huge thing.
Were these for yourself?
J: No. No offense to Sarah, but we probably couldn’t fit in anything over there. Everything is very tiny. Everyone is very tiny.
S: [Laughs loudly] And a lot of stores sell, like, one size of things.
J: We did buy a couple of socks for ourselves [laughs].
S: Oh, that’s right. I don’t even know if those fit! Have you tried them on?
J: Yeah! I wore them. They’re a little tight, actually. They slip off the back. I gave one pair to a friend who is like this tall [holds out her hand at chin height]. You wear them with flats. They’re very cute and they just kind of peek out and they’re flat. Patterns and lace, dots, stripes, metallic.
So the skirts that you bought for research, what kind of skirts were they?
J: I’d have to say the biggest skirt would be the knit skirt, with an elastic waistband, and it’d either be three-tiered or it would just be a short little hanky hem, a short little fun skirt.
Any tops or dresses?
S: The main look we saw a lot of was the miniskirt, whether it was tiered or full or whatever, with a little blazer and a graphic tee, and then they wore a stretch belt over it. And leggings. So we bought some different graphic tees, like with big faces on them, a couple of blazers in French terry [and some] with menswear stripes. There was a lot of this kind of boy-meets-girl kinda look, so we bought a lot of things that kind of worked around that group.
J: A lot of casual dresses too. There were a lot of dresses, and a lot of things were sold—and since I’ve never been overseas, I guess this is common—a lot of things were sold together. So it would be like a tank top with a dress with a little shrug with a necklace—everything attached and sold as one piece. That was really interesting, for me at least. They merchandise it out in stores that way.
