On Saturday, December 12, 2026, the finalists of "FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM 2026" will give their final presentations, followed by the awards ceremony, at Box1000 in MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives (MoN Takanawa). The museum is operated by JR East Cultural Foundation and takes part in the program as a partner institution. Through the program, MoN Takanawa aims to become a gateway to new worlds in fashion as well, weaving each person's story through questions that create the future and connecting culture to the next 100 years.
About FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM 2026
FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM is an award program that discovers and nurtures the people who will shape the future of fashion. It was launched by fashion designer Yuima Nakazato as its originator.
Founded in 2021, the program finds and supports designers who combine social responsibility with creativity. In 2026, lectures and interim judging have been held at venues inside MoN Takanawa, and the final judging and awards ceremony will be held in Box1000 on Saturday, December 12.
The program's appeal includes presentations by participants from Japan and overseas, as well as judging by a panel of judges with wide-ranging backgrounds, careers, and nationalities who are active at the forefront of many fields. Rather than treating fashion as simply clothing or trends, the program regards it as something deeply connected to society and the environment, and it aims to present new values and visions of the future while balancing creativity with social responsibility.
Nakazato serves as a "MoN Creative Partner" at MoN Takanawa, which carries out experimental initiatives together with partners to shape the future of various fields of expression, including crafts, fashion, and music. This co-creation with Nakazato extends MoN Takanawa's efforts into the field of fashion.
On the day of the final judging, a symposium with Nakazato and special guests is also planned. Details such as ticket information will be announced in November.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Time: 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM (doors open at 12:30 PM)
- Venue: Box1000, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
- Organizer: YUIMA NAKAZATO LABORATORY Co., Ltd.
- Co-organizers: unisteps (general incorporated association), FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM Executive Committee
- Supported by: Ministry of the Environment
- Sponsors (in Japanese syllabary order): Goldwin Inc., Seiko Epson Corporation, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd., YKK Corporation
- Partner institution: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
About Yuima Nakazato
Born in 1985, Nakazato graduated from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium in 2008. In July 2016, he was selected as one of the official guest designers of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, and to this day he remains the only Japanese designer to continue presenting collections of his own brand, YUIMA NAKAZATO, at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
In recent years, he held the solo retrospective "BEYOND COUTURE" at the Calais Lace and Fashion Museum, a public museum in France. He has also designed costumes for stage productions such as operas and ballets, including those staged by Boston Ballet in the United States and the Grand Théâtre de Genève in Switzerland.
2026 Judges (Honorifics Omitted)
- Hiroto Samukawa (artist)
- Hirofumi Awano (Senior Advisor in charge of Creative Direction, UNITED ARROWS LTD.)
- Koichi Goka (Special Researcher, Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)
- Miu Sakamoto (musician)
- Sara Sozzani Maino (Creative Director, Sozzani Foundation)
- Yuima Nakazato (fashion designer)
- Nanine Linning (Artistic Director / Opera Director, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam)
- Hiroaki Miyata (Professor, Keio University School of Medicine)
- Mitsuko Watanabe (fashion journalist)
Finalists (Honorifics Omitted)
- 礒元アリシア茉彩
- 片岡弘生
- コイ アレキサンダー
- 佐野結翔
- ジェシカ・ノエミ・プショ
- 髙平ふみ
- ナタリー・フッテラー
- 成田英至
About MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
MoN Takanawa is an experimental museum of culture, spanning everything from tradition to manga, music, and space. The "MoN" in The Museum of Narratives carries two meanings: a "gate" (門) to a new world where visitors meet a new version of themselves, and a "question" (問い) for thinking about and creating the future.
Photo: Yasuyuki TAKAKI
Photo: Yasuyuki TAKAKI
- Official website: https://montakanawa.jp/
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montakanawa/ (@montakanawa)
Further details will be announced in stages through the official website and social media.
