FROM TOP: COURTESY OF DOVER STREET MARKET; COURTESY OF TOMO KOIZUMI; COURTESY OF XANADU TOKYO; COURTESY OF FAKE TOKYO
Koizumi attributes his love for
high-glamour to the magazines he
pored over as a teenager. Growing up
in the countryside around Chiba, his
primary connection to the larger
world beyond was through these
glossy pages.
“I decided to be a designer when I
was 14 after looking at work by John
Galiano and Christian Dior. I always
loved big gowns, this idea of fashion
as fantasy,” he says. “I asked my
mom to buy a sewing machine as a
Christmas gift, then I started to
make customized vintage clothes.”
Though his technique has grown
more refined over the years,
Koizumi has never lost his taste for
whimsy. His vision is one in which
ferocity and femininity, camp
absurdism and exquisite beauty, can
coexist. It’s a concept shaped by the
city of Tokyo itself, a place where
forward-thinking fashionistas can
find cutting-edge couture and
vintage inspiration on every corner.TOKYO STREET STYLE
“I think Tokyo is one of the best
shopping cities in the world. You can
find truly unique things in thesestreets,” Koizumi says. Unlike
London, Paris or Milan, he say he
feels that stores in his home city are
more likely to take a risk on up-and-
coming talent. While Koizumi
specializes in lavish costumes, he
says many of the city’s best
designers lean more towards
wearable, everyday clothes. “The
Tokyo fashion scene is all about
street-wear,” he says. For funky
urban-wear, he recommends
browsing the offerings at Fake Tokyo
( faketokyo.com), which sells local
brands like Kudos. When looking for
something more polished, Koizumi
heads to Dover Street Market (ginza.
doverstreetmarket.com), a seven-
story treasure trove
with more than 150
brands originally
launched by Comme
des Garçons
founder Rei
Kawabuko. “They
have international
brands, but also a
strong domestic
selection. It’s easily
one of the best
shops in Tokyo.”FROM TOP: Comme
des Garçons shop
at Dover Street
Market; Emily
Ratajkowski on the
Tomo Koizumi
runway; jeans with
a local flair at
Xanadu; the racks
at Fake Tokyo.