Rakuten news and archive

Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo to continue ‘Open, Fashion Week’ concept for SS25

The Japan Fashion Week Organisation (JFWO) will be continuing its efforts of internationalisation for the next edition of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, set to take place from September 2 to 7. For the SS25 season, the event will move forward with its ongoing theme ‘Open, Fashion Week’, dedicated to bolstering Tokyo’s local fashion scene among a...

Business|Interview Featured

Ryo Matsumura of Japan's Rakuten: 'We would like to represent French designers who are not yet known'

In past seasons of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, the event’s headline sponsor, tech firm and e-commerce retailer Rakuten, has made it known of its intentions to secure stronger ties with the influential fashion weeks of the West. During Tokyo’s FW24 fashion week, for example, Paris Fashion Week’s official tradeshow partner, Tranoï, announced it...

Fashion|In Pictures

In Pictures: Marimekko takes Tokyo for Unikko print’s 60th anniversary year

When fashion and tech platform Rakuten launched its ‘by R’ initiative back in 2020, the concept was initially based around supporting and encouraging the return of homegrown talent to their roots of Japan, putting on an international pedestal established names that have globally surfaced in the midst of the local industry. However, like all good...

BusinessFeatured

Rakuten FWT: Sentimentality reigns among emerging names as global ties continue to strengthen

As the demand for Japanese designers grows, it is no wonder that a similar fate has befallen the country’s local fashion week, where the roster continues to expand as the born-and-raised talent make the shift between European presentations and home shows in greater numbers. Over the course of March 11 to 16, Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo (FWT)...

Fashion|In Pictures Featured

Fashion and the Super Bowl: A run down of the industry’s most impactful commercials

The final picks for the Super Bowl, the National Football League’s (NFL) championship event, are beginning to narrow down. Next to this, brands that have snapped up a famously prime ad spot during the game are also preparing to unveil their always highly anticipated commercials. Now worth around seven million dollars, these 30-second slots are...

Business

Rakuten partners with NYFW: The Shows on ‘Wear the Runway’ event

Global shopping platform Rakuten is set to partner with a number of designers participating in the upcoming New York Fashion Week (NYFW): The Shows, with its first-ever ‘Wear the Runway’ event. The concept, which aims to make runway collections more accessible to a broader audience, will see designers and Rakuten retail partners 3.1 Phillip Lim,...

FashionFeatured

Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo returns with an emphasis on local brands and craftsmanship

Since Japan began easing its Covid restrictions a year ago, the country has been in a continued state of recovery, attempting to breathe new life into its internal fashion industry. This was the central task of the AW23 edition of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo (FWT), which returned to almost full capacity for the first time since the pandemic hit....

Fashion|In Pictures

Christian Siriano reimagines ‘Cher Horowitz’s’ yellow plaid suit for Super Bowl ad

Rakuten, the shopping platform that offers Cash Back and rewards, has tapped fashion designer Christian Siriano to reimagine Cher Horowitz’s’ iconic yellow plaid suit from the ‘Clueless’ film for its Super Bowl advert. In the 30-second spot, Alicia Silverstone reprises her role as Cher Horowitz, playing a high school student in a debate...