In an ordinary Brooklyn brownstone, removed from the noise of New York’s men’s shows, Kozaburo Akasaka continues to quietly create the most compelling menswear in the city, rooted in his soulful exploration of “individual globalism.” This season, it took on an element of spiritualism, “though this I feel is a bit corny to say,” Akasaka said somewhat sheepishly. He was struck by the cultural and political divisions afflicting society today. “My wish is for fashion to transcend these boundaries,” he said. Called “Transcend,” the collection was photographed in Akasaka’s own backyard, where a small bamboo grove thrives. Just before dusk, an otherworldly light hits the leaves.
Akasaka considers this his first real Spring collection, as last year’s offering retained a great deal of heavy tailoring for the LVMH Prize jury’s consideration. There were high-waisted suit pants and coats made with burlap and breathable linen, including a new “sack jacket” cut from a single panel folded and stitched on the inside. “I want my clothes to be worn and stay with you a long time, so if your size changes,” he said, tugging gently at the fabric, “you can cut the stitch to make it bigger.” A matching pant featured hand-patinated copper buttons with fabric loops at the waist to adjust the fit; two matching clasps on each ankle allow one to cinch the legs too, if desired. Broken velour sweatsuits were a nice casual addition: Akasaka made pants, mock-neck tank tops, and crewnecks with gaping holes in the armpits as “ventilation for the arms,” he said, laughing. Boxy totes with circular bamboo handles were also highlights. One was woven from the same recycled plastic used in the Ikea Frakta; Akasaka also reworked those fibers into a crunchy top coat.
The spiritualism came through in the abstract brush stroke print, hand-painted by his friend, a Buddhist monk in Kyoto, and printed on a long shirtdress and beautiful Sachiko embroidered overcoat. “It’s not letters or meaning, it’s more about the feeling,” he said. The graphic T-shirt was inspired by the mark of a Japanese dojo, but combined the Chinese yin and yang symbol and the Native American medicine wheel. As before, this thoughtful blending of cultures was built into each garment. Madras check (“very preppy American clothing”) was overdyed to connect it to East Asian textiles, and a waffle knit “Miami beach” shirt was dipped in Japanese indigo. A gray collared top had a length of rough-edged chambray draped up and over each shoulder, to mimic the way Japanese workers tie back their kimono sleeves; the chambray was inlaid with white threads, so that with time, its pale color will peek through.
To transcend barriers is a tall order, but Akasaka’s designs are powerful in the emotion they convey. One could see the handwork on the back of an embroidered sukajan souvenir jacket—a pearly dragon, spitting pink and blue flames, marked “Kozaburo, With Love.” That love came through in every stitch.
