Japan Shock of the New.
    Although several Japanese designers including Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Rei Kawakubo and Hanae Mori had shown in Paris before, 1982 was the turning point for Japanese fashion.  Twelve Japanese designers showed their collections in Paris at the pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) shows that year.  This Japanese "school of fashion" made a big impact on contemporary fashion.  Information about several of the designers is included (Ranson, 1983).

 The Aesthetics and Politics of Japanese Identity in the Fashion Industry
      This article recounts how, since the early 80s, the Japanese fashion industry has developed an international presence.  Japan's fashion influence extends beyond those designers who have established themselves with lines under their own names.  In this era of the global economy, multinational financing and product licensing, often Parisian couture houses are no longer the domain of French designers.  A prime example is Karl Lagerfeld, a German, the designer for Chanel. Likewise, a few Parisian fashion houses employ Japanese designers and several are owned by Japanese firms (eg. Romeo Gigli) (Kondo, 1995).