Junichi Arai: Tradition and Creation

An icon of the Japanese fashion world gets the full retrospective treatment at Tokyo Opera City this winter. You may not recognise the name Junichi Arai, but you'll probably know some of the designers who've used his remarkable fabrics, from Issey Miyake to Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. The heir to a Gunma textile company, Arai has been one of Japans most in-demand fabric makers for six decades now – a fact attested to when he was awarded an honourary doctorate by the UK's prestigious Royal College of the Arts in 2011. Tradition and Creation compiles some of the highlights from his career, including a selection of his most recent innovations.