Going to the Bahamas for the Islands of the World Fashion Week may sound like an industry holiday, but this new showcase goes beyond the region's stereotypical sun-and-fun. This new entry to the global fashion weeks stands apart by providing a platform for ambitious designers from the islands of the world who want their creative wares to be more than exotic souvenirs.
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The buzz surrounding Claro Rio Summer started when media outlets (including New York Post's Page Six) sounded the death knell for Miami Swim, denouncing that event's lackluster energy and low wattage attendance. Pundits had already pronounced that Claro Rio—the brainchild of communications mogul Nizan Guanaes, his wife Donata, Carlos de Souza and Robert Forrest, prominent players in the global media space—would steal Miami's thunder and set a new standard for showing high summer collections.  read more »

It's no secret that Russia is an important consumer of fashion. The country ranks high on the list of emerging markets, which means luxury brands have descended upon Moscow in droves over the last five years. And yet, despite this focus, notable Russian designers have remained elusive to an international audience, for reasons beyond the difficulty of their tongue-tying brand names.  read more »

Carlos Miele been long considered one of the best, most established Brazilian trendsetters in America. The designer recently pleased throngs of eager compatriots when he chose Claro Rio to host the debut of his eponymous menswear label, Miele. Contrasting with the super feminine silk gowns presented in the same show, Miele's menswear speaks a more casual language that's in tune with the designer's eye for refinement and detail.
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Claro Rio got off to a rocking start yesterday with sexy showings from Carlos Miele, Blue Man and Salinas. But it was Adriana Degreas' collection—which paid homage to the city of Rio de Janeiro—that made a stunning impression on all those at the high summer event.
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Last week we covered the Seoul menswear collections, an easy-on-the-eye collective rumination on romance, nostalgia and masculinity. The womenswear shows, on the other hand, could be generally categorized as overly decorative, the wrong shade of retro and anything but modern or inspiring.  read more »

With the recent departure of Dresscamp's original designer, Toshikazu Iwaya, the label has been re-helmed by fashion favorite Marjan Pejoski—the first non-Japanese designer to be named successor of a Japanese house. Pejoski recently unveiled his much anticipated first collection in Tokyo, a marine-themed vision inspired by the sirens of mythology as well as French artist Théodore Géricault's famous shipwreck painting Frigate de Meduse. Styled by Shun Watanabe of Vogue Hommes Japan, the collection was a nautical fantasy made up of cute, femme sailors and the sexy, coy sea creatures who were their concubines. Following the success of this debut, Pejoski sat down with JC Report to weigh in on the runway experience and tell us about working organically, managing multiple labels and the thing that makes his work worthwhile.

JC Report: Congratulations on your first show. How does it feel?

Marjan Pejoski: Great! But I'm exhausted!  read more »

The Higashi Sumida area of Tokyo has long been known as the center of Japan's leather making industry, producing more than 70% of the nation's pigskin leather. For the past six years, trade fair Japan Creation has teamed up the local pigskin manufacturers with new and exciting Japan-based design talent to produce runway shows under the banner "Piggy's Special." Past participants in the project have included DressCamp, Theatre Products and Matohu, while this year's talents feature aptform, designed by Tokyo-based Greek designer Michail Gkinis, as well as Yohikazu Yamagata and Kentaro Tamai's writtenafterwards.

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Put aside the perception of over-the-top Russian designs when you consider Liudmila Morsoyan's surprisingly simple and thoughtful knitwear, which she showed on opening day of Russian Fashion Week yesterday.
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During this year's New York Fashion Week, the city subway mostly served to get event-goers from midtown to far-flung destinations. This tube-mentality meant many people missed one of the event's most interesting shows, as fledgling Japanese brand Quantize and their couture-ish creations took over Lower East Side subway cars. The move may have missed most radars during the week itself, but the ripple affect is already making waves throughout the industry.
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