Rakuten and Japan Fashion Week Organization Announce Partnership Agreement for TOKYO Fashion Week

-Rakuten to become headline sponsor for TOKYO Fashion Week. “Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO” to be held in October 2019.

Tokyo, August 1, 2019 – Rakuten Inc. and the Japan Fashion Week Organization (“JFWO”) today announced that the two organizations have formed a partnership which will make Rakuten the headline sponsor for TOKYO Fashion Week. Based on the partnership, Rakuten will become the headline sponsor for the 29th TOKYO Fashion Week^*1 to be held in October this year, which will be known as the Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO.

TOKYO Fashion Week is a fashion festival held twice every year in spring and fall, with the fall event this year marking the 29th TOKYO Fashion Week held to date. Held in Shibuya, Omotesando and other popular locations in Tokyo, this festival sees the unveiling and presentation of the latest fashion collections through fashion shows and exhibitions. Young designers and influential fashion leaders from over 50 brands participate in each Fashion Week, which draw more than 50,000 visitors.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with JFWO to help spotlight Japan’s vibrant and innovative fashion scene,” said Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc. “Fashion continues to experience rapid growth in Rakuten’s e-commerce services. Through this new partnership with JFWO, we hope to promote Japan’s fashion scene globally, empower the fashion industry and provide attendees with an even more exciting experience.”

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with one of Japan’s leading internet service companies to promote Japan’s fashion creations to the world,” said Masahiko Miyake, Board Chairperson of JFWO. “Since its foundation, Rakuten has rapidly expanded its service offering, from a business originally centered on its internet shopping mall, to fintech, digital content and communications, and its businesses and partnerships are drawing attention from all parts of the world. Rakuten’s global scale makes them an ideal fit to usher in a new era for TOKYO Fashion Week as headline sponsor.

Rakuten Ichiba, the internet shopping mall operated by Rakuten, features a large number of merchants selling fashion-related products, and Rakuten has a long history of creating touch points with users in the fashion sector through activities including collaborations with publishers and sponsorships of fashion events. In 2012, Rakuten launched Rakuten BRAND AVENUE, an online shopping site which now features more than 1,100 popular fashion brand shops. Through Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO, Rakuten seeks to further strengthen its branding in the fashion sector and collaborate with merchants in the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace and Rakuten BRAND AVENUE to provide users with an even more enjoyable fashion shopping experience.

Through Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO, Rakuten and JFWO aim to contribute to the revitalization of the fashion scene in Japan, as well as the further growth of the fashion industry.

*1 2019 marks the 16th year of the event, while autumn 2019 will be the 29th time that the event has been held to date.

About JFWO

JFWO is an organization that works, through the joint efforts of the public and private sector, to effectively promote Japan’s high-quality, refined textiles and fashion creations to the world, as well as to develop fashion hubs in Tokyo, with the aim of strengthening the international competitiveness of Japan’s fashion business. Since 2005, it has been organizing the TOKYO Fashion Week twice a year in spring and autumn. Each event welcomes the participation of young designers and influential fashion designers from about 50 brands, who present their collections for the upcoming season to the press and buyers.

About Rakuten

Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 17,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.