Solidarity Japan
The images for the Japanese Fall/Winter 2011-2012 collections will soon be available on modemonline.com.
« Dear Xavier, thank you for asking. We all are fine, Tokyo is fine too. Our office and shops are undamaged by earthquake. But transportation facilities, physical distribution, electric power, etc… are not working. We are short of electric power because a nuclear power plant which is in northeast area exploded. The damage is too big! Anyway, this disaster is nightmare.
But our grand-people had stood up despite defeat by WW2. We will stand up again cooperating with everybody!!
Fortunately, a lot of countries are helping us. We are grateful to them!!!
I don’t recommend you to come to Japan for a while. Aftershocks will come many times till April.
Please tell everyone that we are fine. Thank you all for your worry!!!! »
Yokosawa.
« Dear Elena, thanks of thinking of us. It is hard to realize what happened to my country.
But fortunately my family lives far enough from the epicentre, so they are fine.
Cloud Nine is based in Tokyo, so there was no major damage. I hope there will not be any more disasters.»
Izumi
« Dear Felipe, I’m sorry but due to the delay of the delivery of the samples because of the recent earthquake, we may not be able to start the showroom from 22nd . Is it possible to ask you not to show the showroom dates until when we know which day we can start? » Yasuaki…
The day after Japan was hit by its biggest earthquake yet, these stories and many more were sent to the Modem editorial team. Even more than the statistics concerning this disaster (which borders on cynicism), we were shocked by these firsthand accounts.
What would happen to fashion without the presence of the Japanese fashion guard: designers, buyers, journalists?
What would become of international fashion weeks without these tireless visitors to the tradeshows, showrooms and private parties?
As Japan counts the dead and lives in constant fear of aftershocks and a nuclear breakdown, it's time to display our humanity by showing concern for what our friends are feeling and enduring. We also need to help them talk about their traumatic experience.
They are in a state of shock but, due to their culture, some would prefer to commit Harakiri rather than express their suffering. Cloaked in modesty and unable to show despair, they never ceased to be major players in the fashion game. What elegance! And what refinement!
At Modem, we are leading an action to help the Japanese, so deserving in their misfortune, so quick to return to work, so politely sad …
We will be setting up at the beginning of April an online “calendar” for the collections, which would have been presented during Tokyo Fashion Week.
Photos, videos, descriptions … The international fashion industry will be able to discover the Fall/Winter 11-12 collections of the 120 brands unable to show at Tokyo Fashion week.
It is our way of supporting them. They had the courage to resist the temptation to panic and remained with the suffering rather than flee. Offer them hope to stay in the game.
Only those who have hope are capable of endurance...
Florence Julienne @ modemonline
