Junya Wayanabe had a bit of a Bugsy Malone moment for spring. It was all about the hustler, the hoodlum, the big man. Like Grant or Phil off of Eastenders, but much chicer. The models were tough faced wide boys wearing aggressive assertions of tailoring, biker jackets and jeans. But there was a bit of softness too – Liberty prints peeking out from linings, or pasted into the back of a gangster leather car coat. Actually we doubt it was Bugsy as it didn’t have the retro flair, though Watanabe said the inspiration did come from cinematic gangsters rather than the real thing. There was also an interesting focus on tattoos – both on the models, where some were real and some fake, but also on the clothes themselves, scrambled with print culled from prisoner inking and movie posters. It was a lot to take away, intellectually – but physically, you’ll take away one of the great tailored coats with biker jacket sleeves.
