As accomplished a graduate from the COMME des GARÇONS “school” of design as one can be, Junya Watanabe is a creative juggernaut in his own right, fashioning collections that seemingly sit at the crossroads between rugged workwear and urban sophistication. The one-time Rei Kawakubo protégé unwrapped his label’s Fall/Winter 2020 range amidst the big stage, bright lights of Paris Fashion Week.
An expressive cocktail featuring one part Billism, one part British mod and one part workwear Americana, Watanabe uncovers looks that can just as easily star in a 1960’s fashion campaign as it can a modern-day editorial spread. Silhouette proportions are kept minimal with clean lines informing much of the range. Form-fitting blazers set up against distressed denim, with pressed slacks teaming effortlessly alongside porkpie hats and leather loafers.
Much like he did last spring, the Japanese designer applied a series of design twists to a throng of jacket styles, often times playing with unique textile compositions and print placements. Check-printed Pea coats call attention to quilted, puffer-esque materials in bold hues of red, blue, and yellow, while others shine a spotlight on distinct denim-infused considerations. The seasonal offering also revealed yet another conjoined capsule with repeat collaborator, Carhartt. With that said, one such jacket combined the elegance of a tweed blazer with the rugged tone of a Carhartt chore coat.
Elsewhere in the fashion world, AMBUSH recently dropped its new Fall/Winter 2020 collection lookbook.
