TOKYO: A tweed-themed bicycle ride around Tokyo saw around 150 people gather in Scottish sports casual to mark Japan Fashion Week.
While some were kitted out in the full deerstalker set that would not look out of place on a British stag hunt, others added a Tokyo twist to the traditional material, donning tweed blousons or sneakers.
“What’s attractive about tweed is the way it feels, and that stays with it when it is used in unconventional items like training shoes or a baseball jacket,” said Keisuke Ikeya, who took part in the ‘Tweed Run Tokyo’ ride wearing a jacket made from tweed patchwork.
“Take these shoes,” he said, pointing to his casual footwear. Tokyo is a city of concrete, and tweed sneakers fit this environment.
“It’s so Tokyo, I would say. We are using this traditional fabric in many modern ways. It’s part of the diversity of fashion.” Tokyo has long been the centre of cool, renowned around the world for its far-out fashions that see young women wearing gothic-inspired ‘Lolita’ outfits and chiseled young men with high quiff hair.
But even as trends come and go, traditional tweed, especially the authentic Harris Tweed handwoven fabric, has remained enormously popular as a must-have item in Japan — the world’s biggest market for the material. — AFP