Akihabara in mind
Maid cafes, and fantasy cosplay, were the major inspiration behind the Memuse Spring 2018 collection.
There is something interesting about a designer who has spent a great deal of her young life being 'overexposed' as part of the the Japanese music industry's 'idol band' phenomenon which led her to seek anonymity as a maid cafe worker in Akihabara, choosing to stage her debut runway show in a way that made it almost un-photographable, while drawing on Akihabara itself as an inspiration. Was it a comment on the designer's own feelings about female exploitation? Or was it merely a fun, spooky atmosphere in which the designer could introduce her fun, cosplay-ish looks. It's difficult to say, but either way we'll be very interested in what Memuse designer Risa Aizawa has in store for us next season.
Runway images below, click on any to launch lightbox mode for best viewing.
All images: Style Wylde Photography.