The Tamesis
This is an important moment. Berlin Fashion Week and tailoring. But let’s start from the beginning. Every season, the Berlin Senate sponsors the Berlin Contemporary competition to promote innovation, sustainability and creative diversity. Among the winners who all receive cash prizes, there are often international brands. This season, Japanese brand John Lawrence Sullivan is one of them, with Arashi Yanakawa as creative director. In terms of visibility and reputation, this is a win for Berlin. For Yanagawa, this was not a random choice.
The former boxer’s work is inspired not only by his past as a professional athlete, but also by metal music and the metal subculture. Since 2010, he has included womenswear in his creative repertoire. At John Lawrence Sullivan, that mostly means tailoring. After his uncle introduced him to the Rolling Stones, Yanagawa fell in love with their British suits and began embracing the look in high school, laying the first foundation for his career.
“I learned the rules of tailoring in order to break them,” Yanagawa said backstage. The shoulders on the jacket are sloping forward and the arm bends are artificially exaggerated. When models showed off the first designs, it became clear why. Almost intuitively, the body assumes a curved posture, not submissive or hunched over, but leaning forward and in defensive mode. “Just like boxing, it’s not a blind attack; the key is self-defense,” Yanagawa points out. While he most often painted clean silhouettes for women’s looks, silver leather or faux fur arm warmers occasionally appeared on his men’s minimalist tuxedos.
Why Berlin? This is more than just an opportunity to compete. “I’m a big fan of a lot of German music artists who have played a part in the metal scene. But my fashion also has a lot of industrial elements that make me feel very German. It’s a great synergy and the perfect place to showcase my designs,” Yanagawa explains. Berlin Fashion Week will be lucky if this turns into a longer-term partnership. And so would John Lawrence Sullivan, given the roar of applause at the end of the performance.
