Bunka Fashion College, Japan

Summary

Is a Japanese vocational school specializing in fashion design and related disciplines. It is headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and has more than 70 branches throughout Japan. Bunka has programs focusing on Fashion Design, Fashion Technology, Fashion Marketing and Distribution, Fashion Accessories and Textiles. Bunka Fashion College’s campus comprises of a 21 storey building that includes the latest facilities such as a library, costume museum, and a resource center which provides a wealth of information on fashion. Bunka’s campus contributes towards developing student’s creative ability.

History

The College was founded in 1919 by Isaburo Namiki as a small dressmaking school for girls called Namiki Dressmaking School, at a time when European-style clothing for women was still considered modern and was only available for affluent families. In 1936, the name of the school became Bunka Fashion College, and it began publishing So-en, Japan’s first fashion magazine.

The Bunka Fashion College went through three major eras: First it taught people and families how to make clothes; then in the 1960s, designers from the school such as Kenzo Takada (who enrolled in 1958) and Yohji Yamamoto emerged on the international fashion scene and drove the rise of modern Japanese fashion; Since the 2000s, the school aims to develop a more global and sustainable fashion industry.

Alumni

Alumni of the school include (fashion designers unless otherwise stated):

• Tsumori Chisato
• Misha Janette (blogger)
• H. Naoto
• Takeo Kikuchi
• Asami Kiyokawa (embroidery designer)
• Yoshiyuki Konishi
• Mariko Mori (artist)
• Nigo
• Naomi Nishida (actress)
• Peeco (fashion critic)
• Sebastiano Serafini (singer/songwriter)
• Tomoe Shinohara
• Kenzō Takada
• Jun Takahashi
• Junya Watanabe
• Yohji Yamamoto
• Hiromichi Ochiai
• Soshi Otsuki
• Shingo Sato