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On 22 March (Sunday) Fukuoka was bathed in the glorious weather of Spring and the "Fukuoka Asia Collection (FACo) 2015 SPRING - SUMMER," which was held at the FUKUOKA CONVENTION CENTER, ensured that the streets of Fukuoka were also filled with glitz and glamour!

The long-awaited and much anticipated FACo finally opened! You could cut the tension in the air with a knife!

2015 saw FACo celebrate its 7th year and in anticipation of this huge event, there was a big crowd of stylish young trendsetters swarming to the venue before things had even started! On the stages (the stage was split across 3 seperate times slots), gorgeous models, including Fukuoka native Mariya Nishiuchi, along with top models Yuri Ebihara, Moe Oshikiri, Nicole Ishida, Melody Yoko, as well as Maiwako Kakei, who is active on the TV and magazine scene, graced the runway dressed in all the latest fashion items.

This years runway was set up in a cross shape, extending out from the stage, and each time the performers aproached one of the four corners of the runway, the excitement amongst audience became palpable. There were also live performances from top artists on each stage, with a varied line-up that included Fukuoka's local idol group "LinQ," "DRUM TAO," the Taiko (Japanese drumming) entertainment collective who have performed all over the world, and the unique cross-dressing female group "Fudanjuku." It was more than just fashion, the performances enriched and added variety to the event, and there was nothing but uninterrupted cheers coming out of the venue throughout the day!

The Kawaii Ambassadors from regions across Asia were introduced on the big screen!

It was on the 2nd stage, that the popular project "FACo MEETS ASIA: asianbeat X FACo," which helps instill the essence of Asia into the FACo show, finally got underway! asianbeat selected 2 representatives from China, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, respectively, and these “asianbeat・FACo Kawaii Ambassadors" appeared on stage. At this point in the show it was not just the ambassadors, but also us, the asianbeat staff, who were really feeling the nerves!

Out of all the people who applied to this year's Kawaii Ambassador Contest, 8 were chosen as representatives of regions across Asia, I wonder what was on their minds walking on the runway?? In the show, the girls had the special experience of treading the runway with many famous models. From the moment they touched down, until they returned home, the editorial dept. kept a close eye on the girls, and the images of the Kawaii Ambassadors dazzling the crowd with their shining, beaming smiles, is a memory that will definitely remain etched in our hearts.

This year's FACo saw more than 7,500 people attend and the 38 brands on display (including 14 brands from Fukuoka, along with 13 participating brands) revealed their spring/summer collections for this year, bringing the curtain down on another great success. Attending for the first time, this was the first year that I experienced FACo, and the whole day was a bit like a dream, in which I enjoyed inspirational music on full blast, along with the latest fashion from Fukuoka and Asia. FACo was jam-packed with highlights for all the people what turned out to the venue. And for those of you interested in next year's event and for a full rundown of this year's show please check out our "FACo2015 AFTER REPORT."