Mood board: There’s been a resurgence in authentic workwear for a couple of seasons now – a push back to the self-conscious, curated streetwear look that had a hold over menswear for a long time. Kanye West wore a Dickies jacket to this year’s Met Gala; Heron Preston has collaborated with New York’s Sanitation Department (DSNY) to redesign the uniforms of its workers; Craig Green often ascribes his sculptural, padded separates to traditional workaday garb. Multi-pocketed military vests, field jackets, cargo pants – each is representative of a fixed idea of masculinity, one rooted in physical labour. Junya Watanabe always riffs on an unpretentious, utilitarian style, repurposing shapes that are rooted in practically and no pomp. They are suspicious of fashion.
Best in show: Watanabe has reviewed and renewed workwear since launching his line in 1992. He began by making patterns for Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons in the early 1980s and, to this day, his approach is one of slicing open archetypal clothes and remixing their heritage. For S/S 2020, field jackets and fisherman vests were cut into the front of tailored jackets. A Raglan bomber was set into a shirt; a Levis’s denim jacket had a classic Oxford shirt back. Logos for Fergus Henderson’s iconic London restaurant St John, the Amsterdam Tulip Museum and Copenhagen fishery Fiskerikajen were printed onto bags and jackets. Watanabe embraced the independent voices shaping culture today, featuring the front covers of arts quarterly Real Review and New York-based paper Civilization as prints on large canvas shoulder bags. This was canny and cool.
Sound bite: Watanabe’s clothes are playful yet not impractical. His look underscores a masculine approach to dressing obsessed with detail, cut and fit. ‘I think a big reason for that is the interest in craftsmanship and the discovery of details that actually work and improve a garment,’ Olie Arnold, style director at Mr Porter said. Watanabe’s collections usually derive from traditional workwear and tailoring, where the occupational elements are essential to create a credible piece for the farm or factory. ’His ability to rework and reimagine these details and present them in a contemporary, but still functional manner, is what makes his work so coveted.’
Junya Watanabe S/S 2020
Junya Watanabe S/S 2020
Junya Watanabe S/S 2020
Junya Watanabe S/S 2020
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After the floods, Valencia’s design community unitesValencia's design community launches ‘Auction for Action’ and 'Interioristas en Acción' (IED), initiatives to raise money for those effected by the floods in Spain
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In Helsinki, Pauline Curnier Jardin has created the grotesque amusement park of her dreamsFrench artist Pauline Curnier Jardin celebrates otherness at Kiasma, Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art
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A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
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Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking 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
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Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
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Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom 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
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Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s -
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Sacai A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Alexander McQueen A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
