The Front Line of Fashion

Sexiness as an issue of Cosmopolitan, this fascinating volume presents thousands of runway and studio shots of the contemporary work of Japanese fashion designers. From Botanika, organic clothing designed to ''let people relax through the forces of nature'' to Ne-net, whose designs ''arise from the imagination and delusions of the designer,'' the 100 emerging talents featured are pushing the limits of international fashion. Each designer profile features an artistic statement as well as recent clothing lines. Experts including Ako Tanaka, fashion editor for Vogue Nippon, and Hayato Kohama, head women's wear buyer for Isetan, weigh in on the growth of fashion design in Japan. A must for anyone who wants to know where fashion is going next.