Akira Isogawa

Well who´d have thought it? A Japanese-born designer has been named citizen of the year in Australia, a commemorative stamp has been released bearing a portrait of him and there are heated debates with Japan about who gets the right to be called his native land. And it´s not so much that Australians are really keen on fashion designers (although actually they are) — simply Akira Isogawa genuinely deserves it.

He was born in the Japanese city of Kyoto, but in 1986 moved to Sydney and this was probably the biggest loss that the Japanese fashion industry has ever suffered. Akira opened his first boutique in Melbourne in 1993 and by 1996 his clothing had already hit the streets of France and Great Britain. In 1999 the Australian press named Akira Citizen of the Year and in 2005 he was included in the list of Australian Legends, while the Australian postal service released the commemorative stamp in time for his birthday.