Each season designer Yasutaka Funakoshi of ALICE AUAA delves deeper and deeper into his gothic industrial with serious sex appeal niche with little regard for expanding his brand's popularity to the masses. This commitment to the extremities of fashion can come across as alienating to some, while others surely see it as a loyalty to the hardcore customer who has followed Funakoshi for years.
For Alice Auaa Spring 2015 Funakoshi definitely had only his long-term followers in mind, setting his show in a nearly pitch black room with burning fire-light-like bulbs offering more atmosphere than actual illumination, the runway show was high on drama and light on anything mainstream media is likely to comprehend.
But who cares about mainstream media? Funakoshi's work, although extremely niche, is always imaginative, and his fans are always exuberant. So while mainstream types may question aspects of the collection such as condom-wrapper headwear and lingerie inspired gowns, Funakoshi always knows who his real audience is and, for them, he hits it out of the park every time.
All images: C.Hope for Style Wylde
Looking for more Tokyo fashion? Go here for complete coverage of the Spring 2015 season.