sulvam ‘by R’ takes to the runway in Tokyo and Paris events

September is a highly fashionable time of year at Japan, as designers gather to showcase their latest creations for Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO.

Rakuten has sponsored the event since 2019 and launched the ‘by R’ initiative in 2020. This ambitious project aims to empower the Japanese fashion scene by placing the spotlight on select, unique brands loved by a broad range of fans in Japan and around the globe.

‘by R’ has already achieved remarkable success. Last season, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Unikko, its iconic floral pattern, Marimekko participated in Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO for the first time with its 2024 A/W collection through the project.

This year, Rakuten partnered with rising brand sulvam to hold a runway show at Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO S/S 2025, and supported the launch of sulvam’s reception event during Paris Fashion Week S/S 2025 to celebrate the opening of the brand’s flagship store in Paris, a dual-city showcase that represents a significant step forward for both sulvam and Rakuten’s fashion ambitions.

“I have the mindset of creating clothes that are completed when a person finally puts them on, clothes that can be close to people.”

Teppei Fujita, founder of sulvam

Improvisation and authenticity

Founded by designer Teppei Fujita, sulvam has been making waves in the fashion world since its debut. The name is derived from the Latin word for musical improvisation.

“sulvam is crafted to reflect the times much like an improv jam session in music,” Fujita explains.

Fujita’s hands-on approach and commitment to quality are evident in every piece: “As long as it’s made through my hands, I want to produce something of absolutely high quality,” he states. “If I feel something is a bit off, I won’t put it out.”

This dedication to craftsmanship extends to Fujita’s philosophy on the role of clothing.  

“I have the mindset of creating clothes that are completed when a person finally puts them on, clothes that can be close to people,” he says. “Sulvam is fundamentally real clothes. That’s one thing I absolutely won’t compromise on.” 

Fujita’s vision for sulvam goes beyond creating beautiful garments. He seeks to design for individuals with a strong sense of self. 

“Regardless of gender, it’s people with core strength,” Fujita explains. “I often get inspiration for creation from daily observations of people. I’m stimulated by people with core strength among those I pass by or see every day.” 

Empowering sulvam to empower the industry 

Rakuten is supporting sulvam’s milestone collection, together with the unveiling of their newly launched women’s collection. As part of the project’s aim to foster the next generation of designers, Rakuten collaborated with Bunka Fashion College to hold a runway show featuring collections that involved fashion students from the college in select parts of the production process.

The location of the Tokyo show is also more than just a venue – Bunka Fashion College is Fujita’s alma mater.  

“I graduated from the evening course. Now, I’m invited as a special lecturer twice a year and have more opportunities to talk with students,” he shares. “Seeing them learn through practice made me want to provide students with the opportunity to see the show.” 

Moreover, Rakuten also supported the launch of sulvam’s reception event during Paris Fashion Week.

Fujita sees sulvam as a standard-bearer for Japanese craftsmanship in the global market, and hopes his work will give the local industry the spark it needs. 

“Japanese factories are in a difficult situation due to issues like successors and workers. But all sulvam products, except for leather, are made in Japan,” he says. “I sincerely hope that this show in Tokyo will spark interest in the Japanese fashion industry among the younger generation and inspire people who want to revitalize it.” 

Fashion tech powered by Rakuten

Rakuten’s involvement with sulvam goes beyond mere sponsorship, explains Shozo Suekane, Manager of the Luxury Brand Business Development Group at Rakuten Fashion.  

“We act as a bridge between fashion brands and Rakuten, and align with the business policies of Rakuten Fashion. At the same time, we are involved in the operational management in collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders.” 

This collaboration has already yielded tangible benefits for sulvam, who opened an e-commerce store on Rakuten Fashion in July. 

“E-commerce was difficult for us as we didn’t have staff who could handle it,” Fujita admits. “But Rakuten thought about the best method together with us, and we decided to open on Rakuten Fashion as sulvam’s domestic direct store in Japan.” 

Suekane explains that Rakuten is throwing the full weight of its tech expertise behind the partnership.  

“We leverage data and AI technology in our operations. We have our own data tools within Rakuten like ‘Rakuten CustomerDNA’ and ‘Rakuten AIris.’ This allows us to identify and approach users with similar attributes to the brand’s existing customers and who have a high probability of purchasing.” 

The collaboration between Rakuten and sulvam represents a unique synergy between technology and craftsmanship, Suekane says. 

“We aim to select brands that have the potential for mutually beneficial synergy. Considering Rakuten’s resources and expertise, we aim to further expand the footprint of these brands both domestically and internationally to empower the Japanese fashion scene.