Auralee A decade after launching his Tokyo-based brand, Auralee, Kobe-born designer Ryota Iwai is hitting his stride. Auralee has earned a reputation for its masterful use of colour, meticulous tailoring and made-in-Japan quality. This is elegant, modern luxury – all made to Iwai’s exacting specifications – that is a delight to touch and wear.

It’s an alluring mix of Tokyo edge with wearable sophistication, crafted by factories that have been working with Iwai from the beginning. With stockists around the world and a flagship in the Japanese capital, the label is now attracting global attention after having secured a regular slot on the Paris Fashion Week calendar. Mellow yellow: Behind the scenes with Auralee’s SS26 collection at Paris Fashion Week (Image: Courtesy of Auralee) Setchu Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata expressed surprise at how many people were in attendance at his label’s recent show at Milan Fashion Week, held in his new offices in the Lombard capital.

The LVMH Prize-winner is establishing a loyal following for his brand, Setchu, by virtue of his ability to tell stories through unexpected details. A case in point is his latest collection, inspired by a fishing trip to Greenland. “I planned to visit a long time ago,” he says while styling models wearing quilted pieces informed by Arctic conditions.

And, in what is perhaps the most unexpected accessory of the season so far, Kuwata designed a fishing rod to accompany his clients on their next angling mission. Setchu’s FW2627 collection on the runway at Milan Fashion Week (Image: Courtesy of Setchu) 1 / 2 Setchu’s FW2627 collection on the runway at Milan Fashion Week (Image: Courtesy of Setchu) 1 / 2 Setchu’s FW2627 collection on the runway at Milan Fashion Week (Image: Courtesy of Setchu) 2 / 2 A Presse Vintage furniture from the 1950s and 1960s captures the spirit of Kazuma Shigematsu’s fashion collections for A Presse, the label that he founded in Tokyo in 2021.

“I spent years consulting for larger companies and I was tired,” he says, referring to the ever-increasing pace of the fashion industry. A Presse’s model is the antithesis of mass manufacturing, with limited-edition items designed to improve with age. Shigematsu believes that fashion shoppers should think of themselves as collectors.

When it comes to quality, there’s little distinction between a handcrafted wooden chair and one of his leather jackets or workwear-inspired trousers. Silhouettes are executed to perfection, the stitching is done by hand and even the garments’ hangers are hand-carved. “The market has become too much about marketing and logos,” says the designer.

“My concept is about understatement and not dressing for others. These clothes are for you.” While Japan is known for its commitment to craft, this level of artistry is still unusual. The label has attracted an international clientele of connoisseurs (the US is one of the brand’s strongest markets) and larger retailers are knocking on its door.

But distribution remains limited. A Presse has a few global partners, including e-commerce site Mr Porter, but the best way to access its wares is to visit its Shibuya flagship, where concrete interiors meet thoughtfully selected furniture and meticulously crafted wardrobe classics. Silent structure: A Presse’s flagship store in Tokyo (Image: Courtesy of A Press) Kaptain Sunshine To those in the know, Kaptain Sunshine is simply one of the best brands to come out of Japan, having mastered the kind of smart-casual wardrobe that Tokyoites are celebrated for.

Kobe-born Shinsuke Kojima started the brand in 2013 to indulge his relentless eye for detail and his passion for vintage uniforms. Every piece is connected to a different region in Japan. Denim comes from Okayama and Hiroshima, leather purses and belts are made in Tokyo and Kamakura, and hand-finished silk squares are made with fabric from Yamanashi.

The detail in the denim is something else: a 13.5oz selvedge, dyed with pure indigo and woven on an old-fashioned loom to give the uneven texture that Kojima likes. “We give the factories highly detailed sewing instructions to ensure a one-of-a-kind line-up that we take pride in,” he says. Kojima is not in the business of radical shifts between seasons.

“We are not seeking dramatic changes; our goal remains to pursue uncompromising creativity,” he says of the new season’s line-up. “For spring/summer, natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk and wool take centre stage. These are blended with select synthetics to create materials and