Tadashi Shoji: My Muse is the Everyday Woman

It appears that Tadashi Shoji’s fate into fashion had already been promised before his arrival on earth.  The average person will undergo several rounds of musical chairs when it comes to choosing their career goal during their growth stages.  Though he experienced a few falls, time was on his side at the  first pause of the music.

Tadashi discovered his passion for creating images on his first encounter with a pencil and a paintbrush as a young lad in Sendi, Japan.  Following his arrival in Tokyo, Tadashi began his distinctive journey to becoming one of the most notable designers to ever enter the fashion industry.  Surprisingly, he started out as an assistant to Jiro Takamatsu, a popular contemporary artist in Japan.  In his decision to move on to pursuing fashion after gaining interest in New York City and it’s reputation in contemporary art, Tadashi packed his bags a second time and set flight to the United States.  He attended Los Angeles Trade Technical College where he majored in fashion design.   This time around, Tadashi was determined to do anything to assure himself that his interest in fashion was secure.   He apprenticed with the infamous costume designer, Bill Whitten who created designs for Elton John, Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons and many other celebrities. Tadashi then continued on to pursue his ultimate goal as a designer after graduating from LATTC.  He built his reputation in the fashion industry by working as a designer for a popular clothing manufacturer until he launched the Tadashi Shoji brand in 1982.

Like every great creation, the Tadashi Shoji brand was invented to serve a purpose.  Tadashi’s prime inspiration for launching his brand was to satisfy the needs of women who are unable to find alluring dresses of high quality for their size.  Following his motto “17 to 70”, Tadasha Shoji designs dresses for women with petite frames who may wear a size 10 to 12 or “queen size” 16 to 24.  According to the New York Times, Tadashi Shoji has been the go-to designer since his first appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2007.

The buzz hasn’t stopped with the Tadashi Shoji brand. Tadashi has designed dresses for many plus size celebrities such as Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, who wore a gown from his 2010 spring collection at the Academy Awards when she received the award for best supporting actress for the film “Precious”.  His latest work hit the runway at this year’s New York Fashion Week.  Tadashi’s latest collection for Spring 2013 was said to be inspired by his travels in California, which he labeled “Modern Silk Road”. Mainly all of the dresses in this collection inaugurates a warm feeling with their bright blues, peaches and lavenders.  Tadashi “put his foot in it” this time.  Everyone seems to be enjoying his new designs.  This past February, actress Octavia Spencer was spotted at the Academy Awards sporting an ensemble from the Tadashi Shoji brand.

Tadashi Shoji’s designs are of high quality.  Every stitch definitely counts.  “I think maybe because I’m from Japan, it’s a Japanese way of thinking, that I give value for merchandise. So I don’t want to sell unnecessarily expensive dresses and make just 10 and 20 and then feel satisfied.  I want to design for real women who can afford my dresses.,” said Tadashi. If you missed Tadashi Shoji’s runway appearance at this year’s New York Fashion Week you can check it out online at www.tadashishoji.com. You will find all of the Tadashi Shoji collections and you can shop!

-Sequenza Howes-Williams