Japan Fashion Week: Ato, Heath, Garconshinois

Japan Fashion Week (JFW), formerly the Tokyo Collections, focuses mostly on womenswear, with only a handful of menswear labels included in the five day event. The big boys of Japanese fashion nearly all choose to show off-schedule, throwing two fingers up at the stuffy suits that organize JFW. This season's JFW contained a few quality men's collections with Ato, Heath and Garconshinois leading the way.

Ato has hit the headlines in the last year due to high-profile celebrity fans—including man of the moment Kanye West, who donned a pair of red Ato sneakers in his "Stronger" video. The spring/summer '09 show included an original interpretation of nu-rave with fluorescents taking the main stage. The Ato look and silhouette is usually compared to designers like Kris Van Assche, but this collection was more akin to Carri Munden's Cassette Playa. The collection featured signature two-button black suits and designer Ato Matsumoto also added splashes of color with vibrant belts and yellow suspenders.

Gentaro Noda's Heath had to live up to the hype due to last season's superb debut. WWD Japan crowned him "Prince" of the collections and his new store in trendy Harajuku is always rammed with stylish Tokyoites. Formerly a designer for casualwear label Iliad, Noda appears to have grown from high street looks to mature tailoring and sleek silhouettes. His s/s '09 show was good, but didn't include any real talking points—crisp white shirts, relaxed leisurewear and fitted soft black jackets are fine, but Noda has to step up his game to compete with the big players.

In its third appearance at JFW, Garconshinois is still a fairly unknown entity. Led by quiet one-name designer Shin, the clothes do most of the talking. Last season's monochrome masterclass was perfect. But, perhaps emboldened by the success, this season's look was all odds and ends rather than a complete collection. Jackets with too much going on, sleeveless plaid shirts and a disharmonious color palette made for a mixed bag.

—Paul McInnes