Mainichi Fashion Awards 2026: CFCL, TELMA and the value of making clothes
The 44th Mainichi Fashion Awards ceremony took place in Tokyo on October 20. Yusuke Takahashi of CFCL received the grand prize and Terumasa Nakajima of TELMA the newcomer award.
The value of Japanese fashion extends beyond a single runway look. At the 44th Mainichi Fashion Awards ceremony on October 20, 2026, at Tokyo’s Otemachi Mitsui Hall, CFCL founder and creative director Yusuke Takahashi received the grand prize. TELMA designer Terumasa Nakajima received the Newcomer Award and Shiseido Encouragement Award. Winners had already been announced in August; the current news is the ceremony and their statements about the future, not the first unveiling of results.
CFCL designer Yusuke Takahashi speaks at the ceremony.TELMA designer Terumasa Nakajima speaks at the ceremony.
CFCL connects knitwear with contemporary life and production
Takahashi founded CFCL in 2020, its name standing for Clothing For Contemporary Life. The award recognises knitwear creation, function and design, and a connected approach to manufacturing, sales and circulation. At the ceremony he described ambitions for a global brand originating in Japan and social contribution through clothing, with carbon neutrality and 100% certified-material use as goals for 2030.
Those are future commitments, not completed achievements. Readers can consider appearance alongside production: how does the usability of an everyday garment relate to its materials, manufacturing and subsequent handling? An award offers clues to a brand’s development but cannot replace checking the environmental performance of individual products.
TELMA starts with yarn and fabric
After experience at Dries Van Noten and ISSEY MIYAKE, Nakajima founded TELMA in 2022. His engagement with Japanese textile regions, yarn and fabric development, and combining traditional techniques with contemporary printing informed the recognition. The post-ceremony presentation included multiple seasons from the brand’s beginnings through Spring/Summer 2027. The looks should not all be identified as a single new collection.
A dark floral look in TELMA’s presentation.
Published runway photographs juxtapose floral motifs, geometric colour and varied dress volumes. Fabric is more than a printed surface; it shapes how clothing opens out in movement. Readers interested in emerging Japanese design can first consider where patterns sit on the body, then how silhouette and layering give colour room to work.
A colourful geometric suit in TELMA’s presentation.A pink dress in TELMA’s presentation.
Retail, support and factories also receive recognition
The Amiko Kujiraoka Award went to BEAMS president Yo Shitara and the late Tomoko Komuro, former executive vice-president of Miyake Design Studio. Shitara’s recognition connects with select-shop culture and longstanding industry contributions; Komuro’s acknowledges work supporting creators and organisations. She died in April 2026, and her eldest daughter accepted on her behalf. That context matters: Komuro herself did not take the stage.
BEAMS president Yo Shitara speaks at the ceremony.DESCENTE president Shuichi Koseki speaks at the ceremony.
DESCENTE’s new Mizusawa Factory received the Special Award. At the ceremony the company discussed retaining materials to repair Mizusawa Down jackets years after manufacture, alongside production. Together, these recipients show recognition extending beyond new garments to design, making, selling, repairing and supporting talent. Those dimensions give readers a fuller way to follow a brand than a single runway photograph.
