How are European and Japanese fashion designers inspired?

This paper discusses research undertaken to identify and compare design theories of European and Japanese fashion designers. Various influencing factors, including historic, cultural, aesthetic and psychological influences, methods of generating ideas, and design process were analysed. Research questions which were posed were subsequently answered using a range of methodologies, and models representing design theories were formulated. The similarities and differences between the two groups of fashion designers were observed in each of the relevant, cultural settings. It is believed that the findings of the research can be used to further understand the relationships between causes, conditions, consequences and design process of fashion designers of different cultural backgrounds when creating new fashion.