The Tamesis
Keisuke Yoshida gave up his fashion shows this season to hold his first show in the building, and come spring the building will also house the designer’s first store. A field of oceanic lavender adorns the concrete space, with 14 bodycon looks this season derived from the purple blooms.
Yoshida’s emotionally charged performances, which feature his powerful vision of mature femininity and rely heavily on characterization, are often Tokyo highlights. This season, however, the designer wants out. “I wanted to get back to the slow process of making clothes and do something quieter and more ambient,” he said. “Normally I would put clothes on mannequins like this in my studio, so I thought this would be a realistic way to hold a presentation.”
The risk is that without the smoke and mirrors of a fashion show, the clothes hanging from the mannequins will look bland. Luckily, Yoshida’s tailoring is excellent, and it’s refreshing to take the time to look at his clothes up close.
In the first look, a high-collar black silk shirt is hand-pleated and tailored to fit the body, while a ribbed wool peacoat and nylon jacket recall the cocoon silhouettes of Cristóbal Balenciaga. Other notable details include the pleats at the waist of beige wool-georgette pants and the detached collar that wraps around the neck like a scarf on a denim jacket.
The most interesting looks were those that played with the tension between contemporary and classic: a teal velvet track top paired with a belted tapered skirt and black nylon zippers that looked like an evening gown. They present a modern, elegant and compelling proposition.
Yoshida said he chose sea lavender flowers because they retain their vitality even after death. “Even when the flowers are dry, the color is still intense,” he said. If there’s a metaphor for it, it’s about the ephemeral nature of fashion rather than something personal. Yoshida himself is not close to drying up, on the contrary he is still blooming.
