HONOLULU editors visit Tokyo Fashion Week trade shows

Tokyo Drifters: Part 2

For the fashion-obsessed, nothing could be better than front- or, in this case, second-row seats at Tokyo Fashion Week. That is, until you stroll through the amazing trade shows nearby; each one bursting at the seams with trend-setting fall and winter pieces. Our HONOLULU fashion editors stopped by a few and share their observations below, though how they mustered up the willpower to leave, we'll never know!

Photo Courtesy: Near Nippon (bottom middle).

HUB: "On our third day in Tokyo, we stopped by HUB, a five-day exhibition and trade show held at the Mercedes-Benz Connection showroom in Shinjuku. It featured Autumn-Winter 2014 collections of 18 different exhibitors, each set up with small product vignettes that buyers and shoppers alike could browse. Upon entering, a check-in team immediately whisked us over to a cluster of tree branches set up in the front of the showroom and plucked off dainty cord necklaces strung with the letters G-O-O-D, a fun little surprise and memento that played off this year's theme: "Feeling Good." Then we were off, ogling the rows of porcelain-like flower rings from Simmon, the cases of coral-inspired plastic tube necklaces from Meg Miyano, and the racks of contemporary apparel from Near Nippon (tweedy boyfriend blazers, three-quarter-sleeve moto coats and graphic print trousers) and ethereal, feather- and tulle-laden pieces from Aacero." — Brie

N/E/W/S/T/D: "Set in the Shibuya Hikarie, where most of the main fashion shows took place, N/E/W/S/T/D's exhibition featured fresh creations from some of Japan's elite artist and designers. From the well-crafted construction of Lokitho's contemporary women's line to the no-holds-barred feel of Armed, this group of extremely talented up-and-comers married textures, silhouettes and fit in a fun, expressive way. Shocks of color from tennis-inspired clocks and rainbow-bright suede loafers caught our eyes, and with the quick sneak peek we had (en route to another fashion show), it definitely brightened our day." — Stacey

Click here for Part 1 of our Tokyo Fashion Week Diary featuring runway shows by Matohu and Gut's Dynamite Cabarets.