The Tamesis
In turbulent times, fashion can feel frivolous. Have you read the news lately? That tension has been plaguing Akiko Aoki this season. “There’s a lot going on in the world right now, wars going on, so I’m really feeling the contrast between fashion and the real world,” she said in a showroom showing her fall collection.
As one of the most active thinkers in Tokyo fashion, Aoki has been exploring how to reflect these complex emotions, which she calls “communication and friction,” in her collections. An overtly military assertion—most evident in the stylishly belted safari jackets that punctuated the look—became her starting point. “Today in Japan, military uniforms are seen as fashion. It has nothing to do with power or soldiers, it conflicts with reality,” she said.
She also used male models for the first time, seeking to dissolve the boundaries of women’s clothing. She says it doesn’t matter who the wearer is as long as they fit the edgy, lace-lined aesthetic she’s created for herself.
The blurring of identities extended further into high-low styles: a high-gloss yellow utility jacket was paired with a silver sequinned breezy skirt and pointed heels, while a large pleated skirt was paired with a short, futuristic fleece zipper. It was friction, tempered by exchanges of white lace that looked like sailor collars, draped like tablecloths over sheer shirts and wool blazers, or like hems peeking out from beneath shadowy tailoring. The brand’s deconstructed style is reflected in zip-front skirts and stretch-jersey dresses, which come with extra sleeves that can be tied around the shoulders.
The report notes that in addition to war and gender identity, Aoki has also been thinking about the harmful effects of artificial intelligence. “We live in a time where it’s harder to find hope in fantasy, and I think part of the reason is that it’s easier to create fantasy than it used to be,” she said. “It makes it harder to be moved. But it means that feeling – ‘Oh!'” When something is real, you feel it more intensely than before. “This sentiment is worth holding on to more than ever.
