Lost in Translation? Far from it! Behind nine German designers lies a journey that will make navigating and negotiating in an unfamiliar market far easier: As part of Berlin Fashion X International – the internationalisation initiative of the Fashion Council Germany, supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Enterprises – we have organised a delegation trip to Tokyo for the first time.

From 9th to 15th November, a wide-ranging programme gave the participating brands Anne Bernecker, Carolin Dieler, Esther Perbandt, Gerrit Jacob, LUEDER, MARKE, Panos Gotsis, SF1OG and Vladimir Karaleev the opportunity to gain insights into the Japanese market and familiarise themselves with its unique negotiation practices. Their collections were also showcased to an industry audience during the “Berlin Showroom”, which we organized in collaboration with the sales agency North Liberty and the PR Agency CallHanna. in Omotesandō, one of Japan’s key economic and cultural hubs. Attendees included media representatives from Vogue Japan, Elle Japan, WWD Japan, Fashion Tsushin and Fashion Snap, as well as retail buyers from Dover Street Market, Isetan, DSM Ginza, United Arrows, Beams and Nubian.

“After New York City, our Berlin Fashion X International initiative has taken us to Seoul and now also to Tokyo,” said Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of Fashion Council Germany, who accompanied the delegation personally. “These two important Asian markets are characterised, not least, by a highly discerning clientele with a strong interest in individuality and a keen eye for innovative fashion. This aligns perfectly with the work of the nine designers who joined us in Tokyo. The response from media representatives and buyers on site was truly impressive and genuinely inspiring.”

In addition to effectively presenting their fashion, the designers gained valuable insights during workshops – such as “Japanese Business Culture & Communication” and “Fashion PR in Japan” – to enable them to act and communicate confidently in the Japanese market. Furthermore, they established key contacts during appointments at prestigious stores in Tokyo, including management and buying departments at the concept stores GR8, estnation and Restir as well as the luxury department stores Isetan Shinjuku and Takashimaya Nihombashi.

“This trip has brought us another step closer to our overarching goal of internationalising German fashion, which we are pursuing in close cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises,” explains Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany and also part of the delegation trip. "In addition to presenting their fashion in their own showroom, we were able to offer the participating designers a programme that enables them to operate confidently and securely in the Japanese market. We see it as a core task of Fashion Council Germany to support the brands not only in making their work visible, but also in expanding and consolidating their economic foundation – a goal we were able to achieve with this delegation trip.”

The supporting programme for the week-long delegation trip also included a meeting with Arashi Yanagawa, founder of the avant-garde label John Lawrence Sullivan, to discuss the differences and similarities between working in the fashion scene in Japan and Germany, as well as a guided tour of the Tokyo Textile Scope trade fair, organised by the Japan Fashion Week Organisation. The designers also had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture in a variety of ways, including an intimate dinner at the sumo restaurant Chanko Chiyonofuji, hosted by Fashion Council Germany together with Japanese model Kozue Akimoto.

Berlin Fashion X International is funded by a state programme supported by EFRE funds and the State of Berlin.