A sure-fire clue into the complex inner workings of a Junya Watanabe show can usually be found on the model's heads, where a basic hair-do suddenly takes on fully loaded artistic licence. This season Watanabe had his women clamped into closely fitting skull caps. They were made from what appeared to be discarded hair clippings that had been swept up from a salon floor and glued back together in all-black, puzzle-like formations. Collage was, in fact, this collection's theme, and though it's been a bit of a buzz word for Parisian designers of late, no one has done it with the skill, intricacy or poetic grace of Watanabe. Wool, netting, tulle and even flashy sequins were all employed as the raw materials for his artistic canvases. Working first in circle constructions that looked as if the clothes had been hole-punched with giant cookie cutters, Watanabe then moved to triangles, waves and petal shapes, allowing the diverse materials to pile up like a secret garden on tunic tops, ponchos, capes and dramatic long skirts. All of the sport and street elements of his past collections had been erased here, unless you count the puffer jackets that were reconfigured into Michelin Man funnel-like shapes. Meanwhile, Watanabe worked in an almost universally black palette. It is a true testament to this designer's workmanship that so much depth - not to mention emotion - was transmitted, while using such a flat, colourless hue.
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Year in review: top 10 furniture launches of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper* global design director Hugo MacdonaldThe furniture launches that wowed global design director Hugo Macdonald this year
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Unboxing beauty products from 2024, as seen on the pages of Wallpaper*Wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included Chanel lipstick, Bottega Veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of Aesop, Celine, Diptyque, Hermès and Sisley
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The cosiest alpine retreats to book in EuropeBrowse the Wallpaper* edit of European alpine retreats where to fully embrace the ski season
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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
