CHIDORI AT VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK F/W 24

Chidori at Vancouver Fashion Week F/W 24. The brand Chidori presented on the fifth night of VFW. Fuminari Fujiwara, the mastermind behind Chidori, hails from Okayama, Japan. After graduating from Marronnier College of Fashion Design, he began his career as a pattern maker. Drawing from practical experiences in designing and production management while working for several manufacturers, Fujiwara launched the apparel brand Chidori. The brand’s unique selling point lies in its gimmicky designs, which only a skilled pattern maker like Fujiwara could create. Chidori’s product lineup includes women’s wear, unisex clothing, bags, and leather goods, all centered around the concept of transformation.

Chidori’s approach to fashion is rooted in transformation—both in terms of design and consumer experience. The brand is displayed and offered in domestic and international joint exhibitions, home shopping programs, pop-up shops at department stores, and its e-commerce website. Chidori’s global appeal continues to grow, making it a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry.

CHIDORI AT VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK

A REVEIW 

Before the runway show, Chidori’s designer, Fuminari Fujiwara, placed show cards on the seats. The show card included photos of the looks; I was so pleased because it was hard to see the transitions from my seat. When I use the term transition, I refer to garments seamlessly transformed from one style to another. One design turned from white to plaid with a Venetian blind-style mechanism. While another was transformed from white to patterned, and the shape was changed from a straight column to a flared handkerchief-hemmed skirt. Clever is the word one might use to describe these garments. However, the designer chooses the word gimmicky, expressing the showy nature of the clothes.

The collection unfolded as a parade of white until the transitions occurred when some color was revealed: an indigo blue and a tartan with red and yellow. The non-color palette showed   Fujiwara's mastery of detail and texture: slashes cut into trousers legs, beaded crystal vests, and a fake fur skirt with industrial-looking metal clips. Chiffon and organza are used in some traditional shapes, including Victorian-style blouses with puffed sleeves and a voluminous gauzy capelet. Once the transitions happened, the garments had a contemporary flare with dropped waists, exposed skin, and blue and white strapping hugging the body. 

CHIDORI

As models strutted down the VFW runway in Chidori's creations, the audience buzzed with excitement. Gasps of delight accompanied each outfit reveal. Fashion shows have always been where designers put forward their latest work. Often, designers use the runway to be theatrical and display some showmanship; in this case, CHIDORI is committed to showing that it is all about the transformation. The most stunning transformation (much like that wedding dress moment at the end of a show) came when a knee-length lacy dress transformed into a fantastic work of art, a silvery iridescent origami skirt. That's how you close a show with a vision that will stay with the audience and keep the critics talking.

photos by Arun Nevader

IN CONCLUSION

I've seen a lot of fashion shows and a lot of fashion designs. Rarely do I see something unique, but Chidori is one such label. Designer Fuminari Fujiwara has the skill to make his gimmicks work. Reveals in fashion are nothing new, but the inventiveness of this collection is. The precision with which the transitions happened was breathtaking. The transitions symbolize the artist's idea about change, how we are all born blank white at the beginning and will change appearance based on lived experiences. I applaud Fuminari Fujiwara for his ingenuity.

Here I am with designer Fuminari Fujiwara at Vancouver Fashion Week.

CIAO FOR NOW J. ANDREW JACKSON