What does the thinking man wear when he’s running late to class but still wants to turn a look? Junya Watanabe has answers. For SS26, the Japanese designer delivered a masterclass in chaotic academia and true to his ethos, straddled the line between antiquity and invention, dressing his models in rococo-inspired jacquards and vintage brocades, only to twist them into something entirely new: blazers askew, ties stacked and undone just so, and trousers that looked like they’d survived a very stylish fall down a library staircase. There were frayed hems, asymmetrical cuts and denim patches where you’d least expect them. Think prep school meets punk squat – tailored blazers, crisp shirts and ties, all roughed up just enough to feel cool rather than precious.
Watanabe pulled from his usual playbook – patchworking, layering and a love of heritage fabrics – but this season felt looser, more relaxed. Knitwear came pastoral and a bit precious, stitched with rolling hills and grazing sheep like postcards from a farm boy’s daydream. Trousers came baggy, breezy or skinny with a ‘70s-style kick flair. Denim made a strong showing too, in Frankensteined or irregularly-cut jeans, the kind you’d wear to smoke outside a philosophy lecture. Artistic prints – from Munch’s painting depicting anarchist philosopher Hans Jaeger to Elizabeth Peyton’s portraiture – popped up across outerwear and tees, a witty riff on taste itself.
All in all, it felt scruffy, smart and kind of sexy – the wardrobe of a charming overthinker; someone who owns a lot of books, but won’t let you borrow any.
Photography courtesy of Junya Watanabe.
