In Itochu Fashion System, Yoko Kawashima has continued to follow the Tokyo of the trend at the center of fashion. In June this year, was publication of the "TOKYO fashion building" that followed the Shibuya and trajectory that trend has been shaped around the fashion building in Harajuku. We heard a story at the center of the transition of Shibuya trend in the Kawashima.

- Of the encounter Kawashima-san and Shibuya?

Had indulged in reading the fashion magazines from student days had been spent in the hometown of Niigata and are interested in clothes. So, I want to leave early to Tokyo! ── strong feeling that, were finally able to Tokyo in 1978. At the age of 18, I came in response to the summer course of the college entrance examination with friends. It was fun to walk the Shibuya and Harajuku. Read in Niigata of the countryside as you open the magazine of the hole, "Absolutely, I go to that store," not beyond description impressed of the size of when I saw the designer brand of the head office, which had been decided that realistic. In particular Harajuku of milk Toka Toka G3 House .... Since those days was the dawn of designer brands, to the extent that standing with the trickle even in Harajuku, I because it was the situation that Iwan'ya in Niigata .... Shibuya is intense is Koen-dori, but especially Parco parentheses was good, it was the impression that the older sister of the building that require myself to still stretch at the time.

- Shibuya of the situation of the time you started working?

Around 1984 that I went to now work, Shibuya was a state that is quite finished. Shibuya Seibu It was a healthy already been fashion of, Shibuya PARCO have become the 3 museum system, also Marui main building (now Marui City) Tokyu Hands Shibuya was also there. It was a time that now, SHIBUYA109 still. Tokyu but head office was also there is presence, and the Shibuya Seibu of fashion floor, Shibuya Parco of the image was very strong speaking again and Shibuya. Probably feeling that could Seibu SEED Museum and Shibuya loft on its extension. Ripple effect that Seibu group had to Shibuya fashion I think it was extremely large. Not limited to clothes and fashion here, Toka how interesting sell, Toka cinema, Toka event, that sort of be included. After all, I because I was to open the fashion show at the Seibu parking Shibuya at the time. Partly thanks to the Seibu, it was the image of Shibuya anyway state-of-the-art fashion of those days exists.

- Shibuya from there How will change.

I major turning point is that Tsutsumi's Seibu got off, and you'll be a girl called gal came out in large quantities. In particular gal is completely born from the street, all became the driving force to evolve a different fashion than before it. I myself is not captured in the negative the gal, not only fashion face many of the mass media, I think that the close-up of just the back of the part sorry. Still gal is greatly influence which had to overseas fashion, asked me to talk about the status of the Japanese fashion, including the gals in the mid-90s, there is also that you have a lecture in Paris. When the time went with the platform boots that, everyone, I was not really surprised (laughs).

- Will there is the influence of overseas even now.

Is not a limitation that "Shibuya departure", is from Japan of fashion, including it, is a large impact on the overseas even now. The Japanese street fashion, and is very good at strangely like a place of combination, the Western Europe people because there is a novelty that can not be understood. It is something are often surprised. While there are such interesting street fashion, women who have the same dressed like that is referred to as the "shrimp-chan system" is there a lot. The fashion savvy overseas, I think we have an image that such a place is the Japanese fashion of current situation.

From the intersection of Koen-dori