Fujiwara Hiroshi Nigō (“Fujiwara Hiroshi Number Two”). Despite the slight mockery implied, young Nagao embraced it. Among friends, he was no longer “Tomo-kun” but “Nigo.”

Fragments from Japan’s fashion history still litter the contemporary pop culture landscape. Even in death, Kensuke Ishizu retains his Zeus-like status, and former VAN employees still refer to him in conversation as sensei—“teacher.” Big John and Edwin have faced financial trouble in the last decade, but Okayama and Fukuyama are still home to sewing

The first baby step into international expansion came in 1999, when rapper Eric Kot and comedian/DJ Jan Lamb convinced Nigo to open a Busy Work Shop in Hong Kong.

Gentlemen looking to relearn the lost art of dressing up headed to Web forums Ask Andy and Styleforum to crowdsource expertise on hem lengths, jacket buttons, and necktie knots. And then Scott Schuman’s photo blog “The Sartorialist” came along to provide daily visuals of stylish people on the streets of New York.

Japanese looks imported from the United States now inhabit their own genre, which I call Ametora, the Japanese slang abbreviation of “American traditional.”

famed jazz musician Hachidai Nakamura

Emperor Meiji in traditional costume (left) and modern military uniform (right).

Junya Watanabe of Comme des Garçons Homme meanwhile works frequently with traditional brands such as Brooks Brothers and Levi’s, but is hired specifically to desecrate their classic items. In 2009, for example, he made a reversible Brooks Brothers navy blazer with red gingham check lining. He told Interview, “Western clothes are our everyday

Jaeger – English luxury knit brand, loved by Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw, with unique dyes for camel and flannel gray.