The gods of Wut Berlin show the public how to set trends

Aoyama select shop Wut Berlin marked its third anniversary last year with a decadent in-store fashion show that was open to both the press and public on Dec. 10.

It was a fittingly inclusive event for a boutique that first and foremost celebrates the contribution of street style to fashion culture, and the store's way of giving something back to the fans who have made it an institution of the fashion scene.

Modeling the store's unique mix of Tokyo street wear and progressive designer pieces from Berlin were several street-style fashionistas, many of whom have strong and influential online presences, such as Hong Kong blogger Joey Ma.

It was an event representative of the increased importance that select shops play in the dissemination of fashion trends. We are moving into a time when it is not enough to merely display clothes on mannequins. To secure the support of the demanding fashionista, shops must stamp their own identity onto collections. In Wut Berlin's case this was achieved by the buyer and stylist Yann Le Goec's curated vision of futuristic Greek gods of the fashion show. Under this theme, the various items the store stocks were melded into a cohesive collection representative of the direction the store will take next season.

Judging from the enthusiastic reception that this event received, in-store fashion shows will doubtlessly become something that we will see repeated across the city as boutiques fight to establish their own identities. (Samuel Thomas)