POV (302)

Walk down the street in Tokyo, and there will be echoes of it everywhere. The subtle, sophisticated chic of iki was born during Japan's Edo period and still defines Tokyo's modern urban pulse. It's seen as a core value in Japanese taste and behavior, from the way people dress to how they express themselves. So what is iki? In its most basic form it's an aesthetic ideal: a subtle, effortless elegance that values authenticity, refinement and unpretentious style. In response to strict social codes banning overt displays of wealth, the merchant class of Edo (now Tokyo) developed iki as a discreet ... Číst dále