A Fish Named Fred on a Mission in Japan: The Tokyo Tour

Will “A Fish Named Fred” conquer the Japanese fashion arena? Founder Rob Schalker, steering the prominent Dutch lifestyle brand, is on the ground with his team during the Fashion World Tokyo 2023 Autumn Show. On this blog page, Rob will publish an article daily until October 14th.

The Fashion World Tokyo 2023 Autumn Show, spanning three days, is an event not to be missed. Boasting an impressive 1,100 exhibitors and a visitor count reaching 30,000, the event establishes itself as a crucial meeting place in the fashion world. Five Dutch brands, including A Fish Named Fred, have the opportunity to present their collections, enabled by contributions from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the EU Trade Program.

The presence of A Fish Named Fred highlights the ambition to effectively map the brand in Japan. Therefore, the coming days are exciting for Schalker and his team: how will the brand be received on the trade show floor? Is identifying the optimal retailer achievable and, crucially, will this culminate in a successful launch in the Japanese retail market? Follow the strategic journey through upcoming blogs and photo reports directly from the Japanese trade show floor.

Day 1, Tokyo Trip: “Brands of The Netherlands”

Follow the daily adventures of “A Fish Named Fred” as they embark on their market entry into the Japanese market here:

Within 15 minutes, the first interested retailers were at the stand. The exhibition stand, designed by renowned Japanese designer Yusuke Kobayashi, combines originality and creativity with clean lines, blending the purely Dutch slant of the Delft Blue print from “A Fish Named Fred’s” collection.

The cluster of five brands—Sinner, Tresanti, Secrid, Xpooos, and A Fish Named Fred—taking the plunge into Japan, with support from the European Union, has spent the past five months preparing to find the right partners. This involves retailers, distributors, and trading houses, and today marks the first day to introduce the concept to a host of fashion industry professionals.