“Simplicity” was Mihara Yasuhiro’s watchword for the season. Speaking backstage after the show, the designer said he’d envisioned the concept as an antidote to “this crazy world.
“Simple [is often seen] as basic, but I think simple is strong, impactful,” he said.
For Yasuhiro, that starting point meant taking men’s and women’s wardrobe staples, and twisting details here or amping up proportions there, a process his show notes described as “deformed detailing.”
Down jackets in khaki nylon — crafted with unexpected, genteel lapels — cocooned the body, while a giant silver buckle embellished oversized navy wool coats, or cinched in a woman’s high-waisted, leather wrap skirt. The designer shrank proportions, too, as in a finely tailored suit cut close to the body, with cuffs that looked as if they had been hacked off with scissors, along with skinny, cropped pants. Even the shoes had their quirks, as some models wore Converse sneakers with liquidlike bumps along the sole.
There was also a vaguely rebellious, combative air to the collection: the youthful tribe of models wore revolutionary-style berets in felt or fur, while military-esque mesh parkas lent a witty touch with splotches of embroidered faux fur. It all added up to an exercise in restrained, yet intriguing, experimentation.