The Bla Bla Hospital head nurse is back from the laboratory with a new range of fashion remedies. She has reworked her previous range and launched a new series of funky, fat ties. Each with their own unique medicinal qualities all have been handmade in Japan using hospital grade materials and the Bla Bla Hospital methods of fashion revival.


Sasa of lo-fi-me fame is a new face on TOKYOMADE but already making a mammoth impact. His one-of-a-kind bangles are a combination of illustration and images giving new, stylish life to recycled tape rolls. Good for the Earth and your daily fashion mix.

Some of the biggest art and design events in Asia are happening right here in Japan this month.

This weekend is the 9th Spiral Independent Creators Festival held over four days at The Spiral building in Minami- Aoyama. The four day event is broken up into two 2 day showings. Group A and Group B each consist of a gathering of 50 selected independent creators.

Sonja de Boer, Discrete Bag and de Boer creator and Kana San of Sci Fi fame were both selected for this year's festival. Congratulations to them both.

Next weekend marks the return of GEISAI to Japan. After an extended break from Japan and making big news with global events the GEISAI event, founded by Takahashi Murakami, is back in full effect. Held at the Tokyo Big Site, GEISAI Museum 2 gives both amateur and professional artists a chance to display their work to the community. The one day event, Sunday May 11, will involve a panel of museum directors judging the displays in each booth.

In two weeks time, May 17 & 18, the biggest art event in Asia will be held at Tokyo Big Site. Design Festa Vol. 27 is almost here, it seems every one is talking about it too! While applications for space are closed there is still much anticipation about who will be showing their latest ranges, what acts will be there to delight and how many people we will bump into.

Many TOKYOMADE designers will be there on the day as booth dwellers or as aisle wanderers. This year TOKYOMADE is not going to have a booth, while we had an amazing time at Vol. 26 we dearly missed wandering around with friends and getting to learn about new creators and their mind blowing greatness. We do intend to be there for the two days from open til close, there is just SO much to see at Design Festa.

We adore getting your emails and comments. Thank you all so very much for supporting TOKYOMADE and Japan-based design and creation. We especially love when your emails are as sweet as this one from tabi boot wearer, Valerie.

Dear Masao and Deanne,

Best wishes from Cambridgeshire,
Valerie

Thanks Valerie we are so looking forward to pics of you rocking your funky tabi boots in Cambridgeshire!! ;)

At the last Pause Talk held at Cafe Pause Masao was lucky enough to meet designer of the newly released book Art Space Tokyo.

I am only now just finding the time to flip through the beautifully presented, fabric covered hard back. Impressive! Art Space Tokyo boasts over 50 illustrations. In shades of black they are reminiscent of sumi (Japanese ink) paintings. The detailed maps of various areas are clearly marked and make the task of finding spaces an easy one even for the map illiterate like myself.

Aside from its pleasing design, Art Space Tokyo gives an insight into the people as well as the places. Interviews with the art and space gurus are somewhat of a reading adventure and give a personal touch to the book. I especially like the interview with the Tokyo Art Beat trio.

Art Space Tokyo describes itself as an intimate guide to twelve of Tokyo's most exciting art spaces. I would describe it as a practical collection of smoothly designed maps, a personal guide to new places and a Tokyo pocket pal to be used again and again. I superb partner for all Tokyo dwellers and visitors.

Something as sleek as the MacBook Air deserves equally funky fashion. Pod Canvas designer and Mac devotee has joined the thinnovation revolution by designing the MacBook Air Felt Case.

The MacBook Air Felt Case is available in charcoal or amber felt. Secured with an envelope esque double button and string.

A best seller on Amazon Japan, the MacBook Air Felt Case is a stylish sleeve to keep your skinny Mac cozy.


Handmade in Japan. Choose from charcoal felt with red stitching or amber felt with tan stitching.

At the last Design Festa I remember Japan-based illustrator Sidney Pink tell me excitedly about an event created by Murakami and team called Geisai. Sadly I had not heard of it at the time but was instantly interested as a result of Sidney's obvious enthusiasm for the event.

Jump forward five months and Sidney Pink's enthusiasm had manifested into excitement and great Geisai success. Not only did Sidney sell all of his alluring pieces of art, some snapped up by the likes of Sohaku Yamashita, but he was interviewed by Art Collector magazine and approached by Giant Robot front man Eric Nakamura. To top of a busy but rewarding day, Sidney was ranked number 12 out of 609 artists at Geisai via audience voting and was one of only 21 artists nominated for the Geisai Jury awards.

A smoking hot day for a talented and dedicated artist. Congratulations Sidney.

Japanese artist and illustrator TiFdyL spends much of his time creating and connecting in Canada but he is back in town and making his presence known with a showing of his latest pieces in the Daikanyama and Kyoto Hanjiro shops.

Hanjiro, is a select fashion store filled with the latest looks on the streets of Tokyo and other happening places in Japan. A mix of recycled, reconstructed and new clothing, accessories and footwear can be found in all the eclectically decorated stores.

Hanjiro are now supporting independent design and creation in Japan by offering gallery space to artists around the country. Congratulations to TiFdyL on securing a hot spot in some of Japan's most visited fashion shops.

For more information on how to find the popular Hanjiro stores, including easy maps, visit the Hanjiro website. Hanjiro also have a web shop for those of you not in town.

If you don't know and love Polyvore by now you totally should. In case you were wondering, Polyvore lets you create sets composed of individual images using an easy to use, drag and drop editor. After you have created a set, you can publish and share it with your friends and the Polyvore community.

Big love to the fabulous fashion creators on Polyvore using TOKYOMADE pieces. Here are just a few of the ones that we are loving recently!
Cute Thing

Irregular Choice and Shojono Tomo are the hottest sisters around!

Be Bold

BLITZ Kiss and Mickey make a bold statement.

Heel Me

Lissita keeps it slick and stylish.

i'm planning to flee with my friends in a transformer car
(love the name!)

Here is a little something I whipped up for a Tokyo shopping adventure.

Send us your fav Polyvore creations!

BLITZ Kiss, creator of all things colorful and acrylic, is shaking things up here at TOKYOMADE. In the lead up to the next TOKYOMADE event, Fragment at WEDGE in Shimotkitazawa, BLITZ Kiss has put many of her original accessories and funky tanks on SALE.

There is an endless supply of events and happenings going on in this city.

This week in Tokyo;

TAB Talks
The next TAB Talks will be number 7. Held by the Tokyo Art Beat crew at Gotanda Sonic. TAB Talks are bilingual Japanese-English and start at 8:30pm. Limited seating of 90, so go early early.

Dr Sketchy's Tokyo - Sketchy Espionage
Wednesday May 28, The Pink Cow
Svetlana, a leggy rookie recruit from her Majesty's Secret Service is on special assignment in Tokyo to uncover the case of the missing multi-million dollar lingerie. Watch as she goes undercover to infiltrate the seedy underworld of novelty skivvies and other boudoir accoutrements!

Concept Session
Air, Daikanyama May 30
Mark Williams, Kazu Kimura, Bruce Mennel and DJ YAMA kick off Volume 1 of Concept Session at Air.

HOOPLOVERS Beginners Level 1 Hoop Dance Workshop
CLASKA May 31 and June 1. 1 - 3 pm
Enjoy a weekend of Hoop Dance fun. The Beginner Level 1, 2 day workshop is designed to provide you with the skills and tricks you need to Hoop Dance for fun and fitness.
This two day workshop will explore a variety of Hoop Dance skills, tricks and moves that you can take away and enjoy. Level 1 classes include a warm up, hoop conditioning, turns, skills and drills, hoop circle and warm down, each day.

Your chance to get your hands on the creations of some of Japan's funkiest and talented independent artists and designers.

The next multifaceted Sunday afternoon event brought to you by TOKYOMADE will be held at Wedge in Shimokitazawa.

June 29, 2008 from 3pm - 9pm.

1000 yen gets you a tasty beverage and access to the creations of over 30 Japan-based designers coolness as well as live painting, DJs and other music makers.

Accessories, fashion and goods from
BLITZ Kiss
BROS WEAR DESIGNS
CHAPTER
chief&mischief
cometman
EGAKEN
Ichigo Seijin
LADE Clothing
mememachine
Pancake Zoo
Sasha
Sci-Fi
Tiny Azure
Yulysses
Seimani

Illustration, photography and figures...
ESHIMASA
Hal
Hariken
J*WLS
Kyori
K+Me
MCKIBILLO
Michi
RINKO
mikish
MUSTKIKS
RINKO
ShojonoTomo
YOUSAC

LIVE PAINT...
ESHIMASA
Isaac
Sasha

DJs...
AZUMA
Brandon (chief & mischief)
FLECHE
TXAKO (JAPONICUS)
トーニャハーディング (cajon)

LIVE...
EKD (未来世紀MEXICO)