Hiroko Koshino has long stood on the front line of the fashion world, fusing Japanese and Western beauty in her designs. Even now, at 81, she still has an extraordinary passion to create -- as illustrated in an exhibition celebrating her 60-year career.
At KH Gallery Ginza in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, visitors can appreciate items such as a dress that looks as if it has been covered in dynamic ink brush strokes, and colorful abstract paintings by Koshino herself.
"Hiroko Koshino: it is as it is" shows how she has quickly sensed, and been inspired by, the changes of the times and incorporated them into her own designs.
Many of Koshino's works blend art and fashion by using her own calligraphy pieces and paintings as motifs. The fashion designer dreamed of becoming a painter from a young age. She is now active as an artist, too.
"Year-by-year, more and more people are recognizing that art is something that adorns your life and is something to be enjoyed in your daily life," Koshino said. "You can enjoy my clothes not only by wearing them, but also by simply looking at them."
Koshino has gone beyond fashion to design tableware and home ware goods.
"When I'm working on what I want to do in a laid-back way, I get the strength to break free from convention," she said.
A book compiling the clothing and artwork Koshino has created so far in her career was published late last year. She said this project helped her realize anew that her works have been rooted in typically Japanese features, such as the changing of the seasons and the richness of nature.
Koshino has worked tirelessly over the years to establish her own fashion world. Her two younger sisters, Junko and Michiko, are also working at the forefront of fashion.
"I got my aesthetic sense from my grandfather, who was a kimono draper, and my business sense from my mother [who was also a fashion designer], and I've been inspired by competing with my sisters," the designer said. "All these things have made me what I am today.
"I don't feel like I've gotten older," she added, smiling. "As long as I can still use my hands, I will keep on creating."
"Hiroko Koshino: it is as it is" runs until Feb. 24 at KH Gallery Ginza in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. Admission is free. Visit www.kh-gallery.com for details.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
