(CNN) -- Japan's finances may not be in great shape, but when it comes to fashion, there still aren't many places more cool.
Consumers from Asia, Europe and the United States might not be buying as many Japanese cars and TVs, but they continue to be influenced by Japan's culture. That means that when global brands are looking for the hottest new fashions, eyes almost inevitably turn eastward.
"Most of the time, most global trends start in Tokyo," trendspotter Loic Bizel told CNN. A Tokyo-based fashion expert who consults for labels like Timberland, Lacoste and Sonia Rykiel, Bizel also takes foreign fashionistas on tours of Tokyo to scout for street style trends to replicate in their home markets.
"People really started to look at Japan as a lab about seven or eight years ago," he added. "Trends are picked up really quickly in the streets."
To read the full, original article click on this link: Can Japan profit from its national 'cool'? - CNN.com
Author: Mairi Mackay
