Hidenori Kumakiri’s inspirations are often enigmatic. Backstage before the show, speaking through a translator, he said that the concept he wanted to explore in his Fall collection was that of “the Side C, the existing space between the back of the fabric and the lining, something that people don’t usually perceive.” Quite frankly, it seemed like such an impossible abstraction, one wondered how he would be able to translate it into actual clothes. But once the puzzling Side C concept was put aside and he let the collection do the talking, it definitely made more sense.
The first look was a severe, long black cashmere coat, double-breasted and streamlined. It looked elegant in a classic, reassuring way. Then came a sleek, tailored masculine pantsuit in a dry gray wool, perfectly chic and on trend in its slightly oversize proportions. From there, the collection seemed to gently unravel: The silhouette went from elongated and restrained to fluid and almost billowy, floating freely around the body in a series of long dresses, aprons worn layered over filmy leggings or loose satin palazzo pants, and light tunics knitted in asymmetrical shapes.
The play between “restraint and indulgence” and “covering up and revealing,” as Kumakiri put it, continued in beautifully cut capes and oversize masculine city coats in checkered wools against breezy ensembles, like a flowing cape in chiffon printed with a delicate lattice floral motif. “It is inspired by the ramifications of the tiny blood vessels and veins running under our skin,” said the designer. “Paying attention to what’s usually hidden can give birth to something new.”
