I Think I'm Turning Japanese

Every major designer from Ralph Lauren to Heatherette is jumping on a ship to Japan. Karl Lagerfeld has been promoting Chanel on the islands since he was fat, and Gwen Stefani has been exploiting Harajuku girls since she went solo with her design and singing career.

But the Japanese phenom is nothing new, anime has been around since the seventies, kung fu movies have been influencing western cinema for even longer; it's only just now that luxury retailers (excluding Louis Vuitton) are waking up to the wide range of middle class that saves their yen for a purse that white folks wouldn't touch out of expensive fear.

The next few entries will cover a few different topics surrounding Japan's place in the international mainstream, starting with the 'underground' multi talented artist Nagi Noda, music video director, installation artist, fashion photographer, and toy maker. She's been one of the most influential women in Japan's art scene over the last five years, but is only just beginning to expand her international career, most recently with a debut of some of her work at Collette in Paris. Stay tuned.