Plastic Tokyo's Cabinet of Curiosities

Japanese brand Plastic Tokyo’s inspirations are as obscure and far-reaching as you might guess by looking at its kaleidoscopic prints. Like Renaissance-era Cabinets of Curiosities––one of designer Keisuke Imazaki's inspirations––the Spring/Summer 2014 collection brings together a wild array of objects in collage form, from lips, to cheetahs, to skyscrapers, to human brains, to roses, and everything in between. Unsurprisingly, Keisuke was also thinking about the Internet and social media platforms like Tumblr, modern day cabinets of curiosities that link “obscure cities and people to the larger web community,” said the designer.

Plastic Tokyo is known for blending elements of streetwear with vibrant graphics that reflect the styles of different Japanese subcultures. Its name was formed in part from the lyrics of 70s New Wave band Plastics, and this season, inspiration came from VAPORWAVE, a contemporary subgenre of electronic music. But while the prints are constantly evolving, the fabrics and silhouettes they appear on are always simple. "We specifically choose material that emphasizes and brings color to our graphic designs," said Keisuke. "Also, we use fabric that is water-absorbent, quickly dries, and does not wrinkle.” After making the prints on computers, the brand then uses sublimation transfer printing (a process that uses heat to transfer a digital image onto fabric) to produce their products.

Prints are more than just a branding detail for Keisuke. "Fashion is something that has to reflect the modern world we live in," he said. "In order to illustrate this message, we think graphic prints are the most effective technique."

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