Akira Isogawa’s show at Telstra Perth Fashion Festival last night was incredible. Having been a fan of Akira’s work for many years, I was expecting an amazing show, however I was blown away by how beautiful it was and how emotional it made me feel. Many of the audience members I spoke to felt the same way.

Born in Kyoto Japan, Akira was the ‘creative black sheep’ of the family. Moving to Australia in 1986, he studied fashion design at Sydney Institute of Technology. While learning Western design techniques, he never let go of the history of Japanese garments and still uses those traditional principles in his work today.

From the minute the show began last night, the crowd was captivated. A piano played a soft eerie melody and digital petals fell on the screen behind. Slowly the models glided down the runway, allowing the crowd to take in Akira’s intricate details and layering. 

Each ensemble was styled with Akira’s trademark aesthetic; cool and edgy yet purposefully placed. There were vivid colours followed by cream, gold and black hues. Quirky twists added to the show such as a teddy bear backpack and bright red Adidas sneakers. Flowers by Natural Art Flowers were draped from the model’s shoulders, across their eyes or scattered amongst their hair. 

This was my last show of the festival and it was the best possible ending to a wonderful week. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my Telstra Perth Fashion Festival runway posts. Which runway was your favourite?

Lei xx