Junya Watanabe Man A/W 2019 Paris Fashion Week Men’s

Mood board: On the streets there are always well dressed men over 40, no matter how much the world excites itself over the sudden appearance of actor Timothée Chalamet or a bevvy of instafamous teenagers at the latest fashion show. ‘Older men possess stronger personalities and are cooler than the younger men,’ a statement from Junya Watanabe read. ‘I designed this collection thinking for people of my generation or older.’ A good jean. A bold jacket. A heavy soled shoe. A confident, assured and lived-in look breezed through Watanabe’s A/W 2019 collection. The show opened to the gusty, brassy jazz of James Brown. The soundtrack had an upbeat, gentlemanly oomph.
Best in show: The theme of the show was ‘Silver Swagger’ – Watanabe’s expression for a hip, mature style made up of New Balance trainers, patchworked jeans and smart army surplus coats. Good shirts. They were all worn by a cast of older models with street-savvy panache and played to a wider mood as noticed by Ollie Arnold, style director at Mr Porter. More than ever, the dress codes of different generations are merging. ‘Nostalgia can play a big part and we’re finding that as trends are recycled they’re resonating with older men that may remember it the first time around. I think Watanabe’s show did this. It presented a perfect mix of traditional and modern menswear,’ Arnold said. Levis were cropped and lean with cargo detailing – a hallmark of Watanabe’s. Recognisable staples were cut up and rearranged. Denim jacket sleeves were added to tailored blazers. Double-breasted styles boasted quilted leather biker sleeves. A casual stripe shirt came with a technical hiking jacket back. This was tailoring but remixed; a patchwork of masculine wardrobing.
Team work: Prints and graphics applied to sweatshirts and T-shirts were lifted from American dad iconography. LA-based screenwriter Youthana Yuos supplied the motifs for a pig and chicken shirt. The L’Antica Pizzeria in Milan lent its logo, as did UCLA. Elsewhere, tweed caps continued the partnership with Béton Ciré. Standout was an ivy green down-jacket made in collaboration with Canada Goose.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
Creativity leaps the screen at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s record-flying roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listing
The daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
By Anna Solomon Published
-
This fun and free-spirited photography exhibition offers a chromatic view on the world
‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome, explores how we view colour as a way of therapy, and how it has shaped photography over the last century (until 9 June 2025)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France Femmes
Marking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu Miu
In this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear shows
From giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Sacai A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Alexander McQueen A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
By Laura Hawkins Last updated