Multi-hyphenate Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, the founder of cross-discipline label Fragment Design, is famed as the godfather of streetwear, and is more readily associated with the fashion scene of Tokyo’s vibrantly illuminated Ura-Harajuku district than the opulent façades of Milan’s Via Monte Napoleone. So he seems an unlikely choice as a brand collaborator for luxury Italian fabric house Loro Piana. But, says Loro Piana CEO Fabio d’Angelantonio, ‘The two universes have more in common than expected. Fujiwara reinterpets and reimagines our products, street style evolves and becomes more sophisticated, combining Loro Piana’s excellences and Hiroshi’s creative mind.’
Loro Piana is renowned for its ultra-luxurious approach to materiality. In spring 2021 the Italian label launched a range of sorbet-shade sweaters crafted using Vicuña, one of the scarcest and most luxurious materials in the world, and a fibre that the label has committed to cultivating and protecting since the 1950s. Its finest merino wool is aptly titled The Gift of Kings, a rare fibre which is softer than cashmere, measures only 12 microns and is produced only in tiny quantities of 3,000 kilos each year.
Hiroshi Fujiwara has many creative strings to his bow: designer, musician, streetwear pioneer, the king of collaboration. He has also teamed up with a host of luxury labels and artists in the past, including Takashi Murakami, Stüssy, and Supreme, and has a long-term partnership with Nike.
Loro Piana and Hiroshi Fujiwara: a Japanese-Italian style alliance
Jumper, £1,115, by Loro Piana x Hiroshi Fujiwara
D’Angelantonio sums up the brand’s collaboration in one word: ‘iki’. The Japanese term, which denotes minimalism as an evidence of extraordinary sophistication, exemplifies the ‘essential elegance’ and purity of the men’s and women’s capsule collection, which blends relaxed urban and loungewear-focused shapes, from bomber jackets and jumper dresses to hoodies and knee-length skirts. An oversized jumper features a striking intarsia chain motif, a sportswear-inflected jacket boasts a buttonable inner layer, and beanie hats are emblazoned with a ‘Loro P’ logo.
INFORMATION
A version of this article appears in the November 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*271), on newsstands and available to subscribers
-
‘Irving Penn: Centennial’ offers an unparalleled look at the seminal American photographer’s oeuvreA new retrospective in A Coruña, Spain celebrates the meticulous grandeur of Irving Penn, spanning fashion editorial, still-life, nudes and portraiture across seven decades
-
Inside Luna Luna: the amusement park designed by artists lands in New York‘Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy’ – featuring rides by Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Hockney, Haring, and Dalí – has opened at The Shed
-
Why champagne pairs beautifully with fine foodMaison Krug unites champagne with decadent cuisine in the latest edition of its ‘Single Ingredient’ adventure, in collaboration with globally renowned Michelin-starred chefs who enhance the flavours and aromas of Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé
-
The making of Loro Piana’s magical festive Harrods takeover, ‘The Workshop of Wonders’Celebrating 100 years of Loro Piana, the Italian house has taken over Harrods in time for the festive season, spanning 36 transporting windows, two pop-ups and a raft of one-of-a-kind products which embrace the spirit of giving
-
From field to store, Loro Piana’s fully traceable linen is making a play for your summer wardrobeLoro Piana relaunches its linen André shirt – inspired by traditional Neopolitan shirtmaking – which can now be traced from the fields of Normandy to the rails of the Italian house’s stores
-
Has Loro Piana made the world’s most luxurious denim?Loro Piana’s ‘Denim Silk’ is crafted from a mix of denim and silk in a collaboration between artisans in Italy and Japan, taking a day to produce just 50 metres
-
Loro Piana celebrates record-breaking merino wool, with fibres eight times finer than human hairThe Loro Piana Record Bale Award honours the finest bale of merino wool in Australia and New Zealand. This year, Australian farm Pyrenees Park achieved a world record
-
Track your Loro Piana sweater from farm to store using blockchain technologyPowered by the Aura Blockchain Consortium, Loro Piana is allowing customers to digitally track the origins of its ’The Gift of Kings’ merino wool pieces and certify authenticity – a celebration of the brand’s superlative savoir-faire
-
This Loro Piana bag will elevate your post-lockdown lookLoro Piana's organically curving ‘Sesia’ bag will bring harmony to any ensemble
-
High sailing: unravelling the finer things in life with luxury goods giant Mr Loro Piana
