Japan has fabricated a unique and distinctive fashion culture. In recent years, subcultures like Gothic Lolita (‘Goth-loli’) and avant-garde fashion designs, such as those by Comme des Garçons, have had a significant impact on global fashion. Why has Japan developed such a unique fashion culture? How is contemporary Japanese fashion connected to Japan's past?

In this talk, Professor Hiroshi Narumi will explore the evolution of fashion in Japan during its modernisation in the 20th century. Through key trends such as the Taisho-era Meisen kimono, the rise of the Modern Girl, the westernization of Japanese clothing, and post-war youth fashion, he will discuss how Japanese fashion reflects the nation’s changing identity. This presentation offers a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between clothing and culture.

Hiroshi Narumi specialises in the sociology of fashion, media, and popular culture. Since 2014, he has been a professor at Kyoto Women’s University, where he has taught Fashion Studies, Fashion History, and Fashion Branding. His research interests include 20th-century fashion, street fashion and youth culture, and sustainable fashion. He is an author of Cultural History of 20th Century Fashion (2007), and has edited several books, including Doing Sociology in Fashion (2017), The History of Fashion 1850-2020 (2024), etc. He is a visiting scholar at London Metropolitan University and researches the history and current state of British fashion, with a particular focus on creativity and sustainability in fashion education.

If you have any questions, please call The Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk.

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