German architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a firm beliver in the "less is more" philosophy. In fashion there are designers who abide to this principle, interpreting it from a unique perspective and point of view, but they are rare. Among them there's certainly Junya Watanabe.
The Japanese designer is a prophet of cleverly constructed clothes and his best experiments happen when he focuses on one idea and analyses it in depth, almost obsessively.
In the S/S19 collection, for example, Watanabe explored the possibilities of denim and tulle, but for his S/S 20 collection he focused on one main garment – the classic beige trench coat.
Though developed before the war, this item of clothing was adapted for Army officers who used it in the trenches during the First World War. Since then it never went out of fashion despite the fact that it still looks more or less the same as when it was first designed, and becoming throughout the decades a wardrobe staple for men and women alike.
But who would dare to radically and dramatically alter in an innovative way such a classic? Obviously Junya Watanabe.
In the new collection he took this garment and deconstructed it in hundreds of different ways, creating ample evening gowns that looked like Haute Couture designs from the '50s, mini-dresses, corsets matched with white shirts, long and short skirts, pants, jackets and coats.
The trench coats were sliced, dissected and reassembled; they grew holes and pockets, they were turned into capes and aprons and, in one case, recombined with a lace gown.
Sculpted panels in different colours were intergrated in some of the trench coats, and Watanabe also juxtaposed the classic beige fabric to pleated elements that created new volumes and added a dynamic twist that trench coats do not usually have. Black and pinstripe coats provided a variation when it came to colour, but they were reworked in the same way.
Surely deconstructing a trench coat is not a new exercise in fashion (think about Margiela), but Watanabe is definitely on another level, as he's not just more punk, radical and subversive, but he is more skilled when it comes to pattern cutting.
The results were therefore more complex and could have been considered as studies on different fashion eras and styles (a theme that also appeared on Comme des Garçons' runway during Paris Fashion Week) or as an attempt at juxtaposing high fashion, ready-to-wear, street and sportswear.
The designs, at times accessorised with large pearls, were indeed matched with shoes and sneakers in neon colours that provided vibrant splashes of colours and with leggings with prints by Brazilian duo Bicicleta Sem Freio and tops with graffiti by Spanish artist and writer Demsky J.
Working on a single theme and using a single garment as the starting point for an entire collection can be hard as you risk of repeating yourself, but Watanabe succeeded where others may fail, turning a staple garment into something new and desirable.
Taking pattern cutting to this level means to elevate fashion, but also to restrain its exuberance to create timeless pieces.
Just don't try to read too much into this collection, as there is nothing extremely conceptual about it, as his team explained indeed via email, "Watanabe-San simply wanted to create strong garments by maximizing his techniques to the fullest."
Far away from deadly world wars, Watanabe's girls are ready not for violent trenches, but for all the urban challenges of a modern and dynamic life.
