October 1, 2023 |
What does it feel like to be protected in a chaotic world? Perhaps the answer lies in Junya Watanabe’s latest collection, which opened with a series of protruding sword-like extensions and sharp angled sculptural looks. Serving as a giant do-not-touch warning to any would-be enemies, they were wearable in a sense, if you were willing to forgo sitting entirely. But for his fans, wearability is the least of their concerns — they were here for the subversion and surprise.
Watanabe has a knack for taking classics like jeans and leather, twisting and reimagining them. Following the black sculptural pieces, the looks quickly segued into his version of a biker jacket, a perennial favourite of his fans. For next spring, Watanabe imagined motos that have been slashed and exaggerated, naturally paired with biker shorts. Denim was sleeker, with long trailing jackets and a pair of trousers with jutting pannier like pieces. Also in the collection was tweed, albeit warped in a way only he could imagine with tentacle-like protrusions — far from your sedate matching set.
One last detail to note were the shoes: platform buckled sandals that grounded the looks. These were by far the most wearable pieces of the collection. As the crowd filtered out, you could overhear plenty of editors discussing how they’ll be adding those to their wishlist come next spring.
Photography courtesy of Junya Watanabe.
