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Tag "japanese fashion"

Sacai
Despite having worked with Junya Watanabe and Rei Kawakubo for nearly a decade, Abe Chitose, the young designer of the Sacai brand, was able to distance himself from his illustrious masters and develop an original and personal interpretation of fashion and clothing.

Whilst the so-called Japanese school is more inclined to look at the artistic potential of clothing, Chitose brings it back to its original function of items that must adapt and be compatible with the various needs of everyday life. This absolutely concrete and practical dimension underlines the spaces and times of our social life and tries to find a solution for different circumstances. For this purpose, Chitose employs the classic formal schemes of ordinary, mainly Western clothing, but does not renounce the process of dividing it up and putting it back together, by applying the poetic delicacy that he acquired in his work environment.

In this original mixture of East and West, sheath dresses can be found, along with trench coats, blazers and also an explicit tribute to Chanel, that at the same time is a celebration of an eternal feminine, of an original elegance.

Without being trapped by boring and regular monotony, Sacai breaks the rhythm by introducing carefully chosen devices that systematically betray what our eyes were expecting: rough juxtapositions of fabrics; simple points of junctions between different prints and materials; unexpected gatherings or layers that are camouflaged by the apparent predictability of the forms.

In the delicate balance between innovation and repetition, what prevails is an impeccable, refined and essential female silhouette.

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Yohji Yamamoto S/S 2011

The soundtrack of Yohji’s fashion show is a clear evidence of the inspiration for the current season. Jimi Hendrix’s rock, 40 years after his premature death, sets up the rhythm of the show, synchronizing the beats of the sound with the colours and lines on the catwalk.

The rocker woman created by Yamamoto, however, hasn’t got anything to do with the shabby look that was typical of young sub-cultures of the seventies. Far from any predictable stereotypes and banal suggestions, the collection proposes items that conform to the very high creative standards of the Japanese designer: excellent tailoring, asymmetrical cuts, refined and complex fabrics.

Such an artistic verve can even propose an inflatable skirt made of transparent vinyl, with buttons and pleats that create a plisse effect. Even if every item of clothing is presented with heavy boots or light sandals, it is without the intention to underline urban environments and moods, but instead to set clothes in everyday life that would otherwise belong to the exclusive world of haute couture.

Always unpredictable, Yamamoto is one of the most significant forerunners of the so called Japanese school, and is currently being displayed at the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum, in London. An occasion to understand and follow the development and main topics of the aesthetic vision of a revolutionary fashion genius, whose creations are considered to be real works of art that must be displayed and made public, at least for as long as an exhibition lasts.

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