This&That CaféThis&That Café Vol.8

In honor of Tokyo Fashion Week, This&That Café is rolling out the red carpet to some of Tokyo’s hippest designers as well as haute couture hopefuls. It’s This&That, so the usual array of stellar artists and amazing musicians will be in place. They’ll all just be dressed a little better. Come mingle with models and rub elbows with industry types as TokyoDex brings high fashion way down to earth. Wear something cool!

Artist information:
##Icon Girl Pistols
Icon Girl Pistols is an indie rock band based in Tokyo that have been playing in bars, basements and back alley clubs around Asia since 2008.
With music that combines elements of rock and roll, post-punk and folk, and narrative lyrics featuring mysterious characters coping with the complexities and confusions of love and society, they have created their own unique sound that is both modern and old fashioned, subtle yet danceable, chaotic yet melodic. In addition to over a dozen
singles and EPs released for free download through their website, the band have released two albums: “New Currency” in 2009 and “Goodbye Donuts (Hey, Statue of Liberty)” in 2011. Icon Girl Pistols will continue writing, performing and referring to themselves in the third person into 2012.
[icongirlpistols.com](http://icongirlpistols.com/)

##Kate Sikora
Like a ping pong ball, native New Jersian, Kate Sikora, has been crossing the globe for the past 7 years charming American and Japanese audiences with her indie-folk-pop tunes (that rock too!) She self-released her debut album “Grace in Rotation” in 2005 and, shortly after, moved to Japan to become an English teacher/rocker extraordinaire. In the summer of 2009, Kate played the prestigious Fuji Rock Festival in Japan with an amazing troupe of Japanese
musician friends as her support band. Following this performance, Kate began working on her next musical feat, Aparto, with Glaswegian producer/engineer David Naughton. Kate returned to the U.S. after recording and released the 6 songs as an ep on the cassette label Phantom Signals. In December 2010, Sikora open for one of her biggest
musical influences, Liz Phair, at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ. She has since returned to Japan and plans to record some new tunes and release “Aparto” as a full album in the coming months…
[katesikora.com](http://katesikora.com/)

##Yuriko Mukoujima
Beginning her music career in her school years, Yuriko first drew attention while playing in the band PUNGO. In 1996, she released the album “right here!!” featuring all original songs. In 1997, she served as the music director in “Spring Awakening,” a musical directed by Kazumi Kushida. Winning fans with her wide-range of sounds and aggressive style of playing violin, she holds concerts and does recordings across many genres. In recent years, she often plays with foreign artists such as Tristan Honsinger and Willem Breuker as well as the late Lars Hollmer, and with singers such as Shizuru Ohtaka, Shun Sakai, Yoshio Hayakawa, phew and Ikue Asazaki. In 2010, she formed the unit “GK & the Mouse” with dancer Akiko Takada and “Odd.” with Jiro Imai and Megumi Hisaka.
[mukoujimayuriko.com](http://mukoujimayuriko.com/)

##Nanami Chinatsu
Aftrer working in dance shows and musicals in Tokyo, Nanami moved to New York City where she became the member of Deveaux and Co., a NY-based comtemporary dance company. She also began her career as a model while in NYC and currently works as both a model and a dancer in various fashion shows and events in Tokyo.

##Akihiko Ohashi
ki started working as a musician in 1991 when he was a high school student. He played hard rock, folk songs, flamenco, classical music, etc on many different kinds of guitars. At the age of 24, he moved to Hawaii to start a music business. After returning to Japan, he found an ukulele at a music shop on Tokyo and the sound was sweet, making him reminiscent for Hawaii. He brought along a Ukulele to his next concert as a joke, but to his surprise, the audience’s response was very positive and he realized that the instrument has the power to truly move people. He has been playing ever since.
[Homepage](http://www.k2.dion.ne.jp/~ukulele/)

##Yuki Nishimura and Sakura Ueno (Hula Dance)
Hula dancers Yuki Nishimura and Sakura Ueno will perform with Aki Ohhashi’s live accompaniment. Ms. Nishimura is a hula instructor for the “Ka lani lokomaikai” hula school while Ms. Ueno teaches at the “ke alao kawaihuila hula halau.”

##Rep Sugino
A fashion show of art-pieces by the 2012 graduates of Sugino Fashion College in Meguro, Tokyo. They did everything from design to patterning and crafting the ready-to-wear stage costumes to be featured in this show. While still students, their consciousness is extremely high ad they try to see fashion from varied perspectives, each of them with his or her own artistic vision.

##Kim seo mi (Hair & Make-Up Artist)
Earning her degree from Tokyo Mode Gakuen, Korean-born Kim sep mi strives to transcend the idea of “applying make-up” to achieve “total
beauty” through detailed attention to make-up, nails, and hairstyling.

##Alexis Andre (Interactive Graphics)
French media artist residing in Tokyo, Alexis does research on “Interactive Aesthetics” for Sony CSL. His works span data visualization to new interfaces for sound interaction.
[alexisandre.com](http://alexisandre.com/)

##Maiko Miyagawa
Photographer Maiko Miyagawa started taking photos as a high-school student and would later go on to study photography at the Nihon Univerity College of Art. Upon graduation she worked as an assistant for renowned photographer Hidemi Seto and began her solo career in 2003. Today she takes photos of live events including theater, dance and music for magazines, printed advertisements, album covers et al.
[soaring-photo.com](http://soaring-photo.com/index.html)

##David Dicembre (Combine / Skinni Pants)
Funk and Tech Disco. Tokyo….

##D.H Rosen
Tokyo-based visual artist D.H. Rosen loves to play with analog and digital media. His live sets are a combination of prepared digital imagery and spontaneous collage.
[Homepage](http://web.mac.com/yakimonos/D.H._Rosen_Homepage/Top.html)

Designers:
##Fugaham
Akiyoshi Mishima, the art director of the art group “Enlightenment,” and fashion designer Asuka Yamamoto found an affinity and commonalities in their art and began to work together in 2006. Yamamoto interprets Mishima’s concepts in fine art and rebuilds them as fashion creations, challenging the way people perceive and experience clothing. The brand name “FUGAHUM” is a fictional country envisioned by Mishima and Yamamoto, and like all countries, FUGAHUM has its history. In the past, the natives of this country were invaded by foreign cultures and their culture became an amalgam of myriad ways of life. Fugaham is an art project comprised of 10 chapters leading up to the establishment of the nation of FUGAHUM is established, telling the story of this land through aesthetics and fashion.
[fugahum.com](http://www.fugahum.com/)

##Yu Hokazono
Born and raised in Shinagawa of Tokyo, Japan. After having graduated Junior High School decided to go to New York to study photography at the Pratt Institute. Since returning to Japan, he has lived and travelled in several different countries, such as England, Thailand, Australia and Korea – finding his own expression through interacting with multiple cultures and energies. He has a strong preference towards what is human made, communicating his viewpoint through
photography, drawing and hand collages. Not limiting himself to a photographer, Yu is also active as music event decorator. He has installed his art pieces at events like RedBox Project, Rainbow Disco Club, freerange tokyo and Lime Light. Furthermore he organizes the party RETROMETRO, together with sheep.O.d. RETROMETRO is all about analog music, putting the spotlight on vinyl records and turntables, the elementary tools for all DJs. In 2010 they successfully toured in Korea twice, and in 2011 RETROMETRO will be a resident event in Korea.
[kikastyle.com](http://www.kikastyle.com/)

##Sand by Saya
Saya Fukuda is a shoe designer based out of NYC. Saya’s shoe collection is very much inspired by New York City. From the names of the sandals, to the ideas behind the creations, New York has been Saya’s muse… A unique blend of classic bohemian is the trademark of the designer. She pays homage to vintage clothing in her handmade sandals. Like her personality, her sandals are bright, fun, one of a kind, and appealing to a wide range of people. Her own personal use of sandals as shoes to change into during commutes is what sparked the idea to make sandals for everyday wear without having to forfeit style. Smart, stylish New York women know that their feet can’t withstand the amount of walking required in the city in five-inch heels. Seasoned New York City ladies understand that you always have to have a spare pair of flats in your purse to change into, when leaving dinner or perhaps a hot night club. Sand by Saya sandals have the flirty appeal of heels, without the pain. It’s evident that these sandals are not just for the beach, us city gals have just as much of a use for them!
[Sand by Saya Homepage](http://sandbysaya.com/)

##Masahisa Shimazaki (F.E.A.R.)
Born in 1987. After graduating from Sugino Gakuen, Masahisa worked in customer service and merchandising at an interior design shop. In 2009, he launched his brand F.E.A.R., and he is also involved in the production and design of new shops and boutiques.
[Homepage](http://fadsnap.com/designer/?p=502)

##Odd Eye
A creative unit made of up Rinpa Eshidan member and graphic designer Akari Sasai, together her sister, fashion designer Haruka Sasai. Their wide-ranging activities include graphic design, fashion design, workshops and installations.

##Yasutaka Nishiya (Tattarimoke)
In love with music and Manga since he was a child, Yasutaka was influenced by garage and psychedelia, forming the band “out vote’s” while still in school. In college, he visited France, and after returning to Japan, he worked for several companies including a major apparel maker before he broke out on his own in 2007. It was at this
time that he also began his creative activities for “TATARImokke,” creating a sensation in exhibitions and gallery shows alike. He introduced his first collection as a unisex brand in Autumn/Winter 2009 and changed the name of his business to “WHOLE COSMIC WHOOP” in 2010. Most recently he had begun to exhibit overseas.
[tatarimokke.com](http://tatarimokke.com/)

This&That Cafe is a free event open to the public in which artists from all genres and backgrounds donate their time and talents in the spirt of sharing. It is a place where music and visual arts meld in unexpected collaborations. A forum for artists from afar to meet with local luminaries amidst the dense and eclectic pool of talent in Tokyo. A venue to gather, exchange ideas, share artistic inclinations and wax poetic in a causal community of old friends and new acquaintances. Come early to get a seat and take advantage of the fetching fare on the SuperDeluxe menu, or just pop in for a drink on your way home from work. All are welcome. If you have an idea for a future This & That Cafe event, please drop a line to <[thisnthat@tokyodex.com](mailto:thisnthat@tokyodex.com)>. We look forward to hearing from musicians, DJ, visual artists et al looking for a new and exciting venue for their expressions.

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