FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013: Japanese Couture – Keita Maruyama

Couture is tailored-made fashion for women who love parading in their latest flamboyant outfit by you-know-who famous designers. Because couture dresses are usually not replicated and sold in batches to several others, celebrities,princesses and queens of the world would shop only for couture pieces which could costs as much as a Mercedes Benz. For most of us, the ‘down-to-earth’ people who slough hard from 9-to-5, we proclaimed that it’s almost impossible for anyone to even afford wearing a Ferragamo’s dress, what’s more a couture piece from prestigious fashion houses. Since we can’t afford it, why even bother to watch fashion runway shows that only features couture outfits?

I pretty much have a similar mindset with the majority who can’t figure out what haute couture means to fashion designers. I had no idea why boys are so attracted to playing Dota and neither could I find an explanation for fashion designers being so passionate about designing fashion pieces which are not made wearable by the crowd. What’s fashion if it’s not made wearable by many? 

But somehow, attending FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013 has totally change my perspective of fashion and haute couture. I acquire a whole new meaning of what fashion is really about after the numerous fashion shows I’ve attended, including Atelier Chardon Savard workshop, and the various fashion photographers I’ve acquainted with. Like art, couture dresses are like works of paintings done by solely by the designer. Every fashion piece presented on the runway tells a story ; an expression or idea of a creative designer who was inspired by nature, culture, personality and people. Couture is wearable pieces of art. And they can be transformed instantly into prêt-à-porter fashion pieces without losing its true beauty, meaning and essence. It’s all up to us – as to whether we have an open mind to embrace fashion into our lives.

A talented designer who has amazingly switched on my inspiration mode button is 48-year-old Keita Maruyama, another fashion designer who has graduated from Bunka Fashion College, just like Yoshiki Hishinuma. Keita is well-known for retelling whimsical fairytales through his refined glamourous fashion pieces which epitomizes beauty and love. And on FIDé Fashion Weeks’ runway, he presented this signature collection which could be simply described as ‘romantic’, ‘feminine’, ‘sweet’ and ‘delicate’. The dresses,overalls,tops and skirts,he designed, reflect the gentle and demure inert personality of most Japanese women. He demonstrates that simplicity with little details at the right places can make a women looked attractive yet independent and confident. Of all the designer’s collection presented during FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013, his floral-print long dresses had strike a chord with me – his garments spells my name and calls for my soul. I’m just glad that I’ve found a favourite fashion designer whose works I truly admire.

Keita Maruyama’s fashion showcase sends my heart flutters with models wearing soft pastel pinks and flowy dresses, who swivelled so beautifully at the end of the runway to the beat of the soft and sensual music played in the background. It was a familiar song of the 90’s but I couldn’t remember what’s the title and singer to this song. It’s just a perfect song that stirred the hearts of the women who went ‘ohhh…’ and ‘awww…’ during the fashion show. It’s that warm fuzzy feeling we women experienced when we are in love. I’m so in love with Keita Maruyama’s garments now. Could he please collaborate with another blogshop in Singapore too, just like how Julien Fournié had partnered with Love Bonito to present an amazing collection on the last of FIDé Fashion Weeks? 

My favourite Keita’s pieces would have to be the cherry-blossom inspired skirt. Check out the photos below!