Last season Junya Watanabe dressed his men for rock climbing. This season he's equipped them to go way up above the snow line. One might reasonably assume he has a thing about mountains. Not so, he cheerfully declared after his latest show. "But I like snow."
This collection might almost have been a joint effort with The North Face or Patagonia, so true to the spirit of the mountaineer was it. The boots, goggles, nylon puffers, and zipped, snapped pants would be perfect for the Zugspitze, but Watanabe also outfitted his intrepid crew to climb any urban peak. He rendered his fitted, hooded jackets and lean, cropped trousers in plaids, pinstripes, Prince of Wales checks, and mini houndstooths, combining the sporty and the dressy in a manner already familiar from the Milan men's shows. Lumberjack-plaid hoodies and an orange nylon duffel, meanwhile, invoked the punky brio of snowboarders. And Fair Isle sweaters and bobble hats added the folksy flourish for which Watanabe has such an affection.
