Modern fashion meets Japanese sub-culture as new clothing brand Tokkou arrives for London Fashion Week

Contemporary Japanese fashion brand Tokkou is setting up a pop-shop in London’s trendy Notting Hill to coincide with London Fashion Week.

The London-based brand takes inspiration from Japanese youth subculture Bousou-zoku for its cutting-edge looks.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring their fresh approach to couture by using technologically enhanced fabrics.
Photos from TOKKOU

The designs are inspired by traditional garments worn by the bousou-zoku biker gangs and the traditional sotsuran worn by students during their graduation ceremony, the Tokkou collection reinterprets clothing as an art form used to express team names and beliefs with words and illustrations.

Inspired by the recent popularity of Japanese culture in Europe and the current trend for Japanese writing, embroidered jackets and jeans, the Tokkou brand symbolises Japan’s cultural heritage while incorporating elements of British punk-rock and Gothic culture. The result is a striking Asian-British fusion of silhouettes, cuts and styles with unmistakable Japanese flair.

Its 2019 Spring Summer collection, Shining in the Dark, is designed in the hope that the wearer shines even while riding their motorcycle in the dark.

Featuring dark and brooding hues emblazoned with eye-catching traditional Japanese characters and bold graphics, the Tokkou range includes oversized hoodies, tailored jackets, trousers, sweatpants, shirts, dresses and tailored shorts.

Each garment is created in the country that the company has drawn much of their inspiration from and aims to transmit traditional Japanese culture to the world through fashion.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring more of their fresh approach to couture to stores and streets around the country by using technologically enhanced fabrics.

Billed as "utterly wearable and very on trend," the collection is designed to be edgy yet timeless and uses modern materials such as a soft Lyocell Cotton blend, with a gentle and drapeable texture that unlike nylon and polyester, does not require petroleum for its production.

There’s also high dense stitch fleece lining, luxurious 80 yarn count poplin and luxury fabrics spun in the Biella region of Northern Italy.

Tokkou has ambitious plans to present its designs to the world, and will host a guerrilla fashion show on the 15th September alongside London Fashion Week. 

The Notting Hill pop up shop will be open to the public, the media and fashion merchandisers alike from the 21st September for two weeks.

During their time at London Fashion Week, Tokkou’s creators are hoping to meet with suppliers to clothing stores throughout Europe as well as independent fashion retailers who understand the brand’s vision and share their view of Japanese fashion as an art form.