Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009

Photo by Kunitoshi Yabe

While international fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood and Anna Sui have found great success in Japan, it’s still rare for foreigners to establish their own brand here. Michail Gkinis, however, is doing just that. After graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2004, the Greek-born designer paid his dues working as an intern for the menswear section of Issey Miyake, learning the ins and outs of the Japanese fashion industry in the process. He clocked up additional international experience presenting collections in Paris and Athens before returning to Tokyo, where he established his Aptform brand in the spring of 2008, not long after showing his work at Japan Fashion Week.

Aptform’s designs are a confluence of various traditions and styles, reflecting their creator’s international background and education. Gkinis takes a soft, natural approach from his native Greece, while the harder, industrial environment of Tokyo provides a contrasting influence. The result is a style that blends natural textures with distressed leather, and combines loose layers with close-fitting silhouettes.

Being situated in Tokyo allows Gkinis to take advantage of the exacting quality of Japanese textile manufacturers, who, like the designer, employ new methods and technology while respecting traditional craftsmanship. There are a large number of working antique looms in Japan that produce textiles with natural textures—something which fits in well with Gkinis’ design goals. The Aptform “Handspray” shirt, for example, is made from white natural cotton woven on a 70-year-old wooden shuttle loom. A dark bluish-gray dye sprayed by hand on the collar and cuffs lends the garment an artistic touch. The new Autumn/Winter collection, meanwhile, employs heavy Jacquard-woven wool and shimmering, closely woven knits, with occasional leather accents.

Here’s hoping that Gkinis’ success in Japan will inspire more foreign designers to set up brands here.
Aptform clothing is available from their online store www.aptform.com/store.