Ametora

by W. David Marx

Category: Design

Book Reviews

  • @digitallynativ @RoamResearch Trust me, I know when RL started, that would be 1967. I have written about it. 1968 is the most famous image from the book. That photo, alone, would go on to inspire dozens of brands. Really surprised that you didn’t know that. Be well, read Ametora. https://t.co/9QU2V0nOBq https://t.co/AQGRbnxeJNLink to Tweet

About Book

Look closely at any typically “American” article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look—known as ametora, or “American traditional”—and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion; in fact, many of the basic items and traditions of the modern American wardrobe are alive and well today thanks to the stewardship of Japanese consumers and fashion cognoscenti, who ritualized and preserved these American styles during periods when they were out of vogue in their native land. In Ametora, cultural historian W. David Marx traces the Japanese assimilation of American fashion over the past hundred and fifty years, showing how Japanese trendsetters and entrepreneurs mimicked, adapted, imported, and ultimately perfected American style, dramatically reshaping not only Japan’s culture but also our own in the process.

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