Kunihiko Morinaga works through a concept the way high-school students might work through a math or science problem. For each seasonal hypothesis he gives himself, the ensuing experimentation ends up resolved and runway ready. It’s a good thing that precision is among his fortes, but it’s also clear that he thrives on play. With this collection, he played in a very literal way by drawing inspiration from building blocks.
In fact, building blocks aren’t all that different than patterns—both consist of combining various shapes into larger forms. Morinaga could have stopped somewhere here, but instead he took his concept further by designing each garment so that it could be disassembled and re-assembled into new shapes. Translation: if you’re so inclined, you get to play too.
Consider the first three looks in this lineup, each essentially an enhanced outerwear piece: puffy trench, navy blazer, MA-1 blouson. All those exaggerated seams conceal a system of snaps that allow the entire garment to be deconstructed and then reconstructed into the subsequent three looks. Morinaga then shifted between the original “Basic Blocks” and the “Rebuilt Blocks,” gradually favoring the latter, as you can see from all the material and color-blocking. Aran knit now mixed with patterned velvet, and eco fur mixed with denim. Anrealage graciously provides annotated collection diagrams, so assuming you have the patience to study them, you can actually grasp the extent of Morinaga’s methods.
Unsurprisingly, the blocky concept translated into blocky silhouettes; demilune and triangle shapes, for instance, were true to form but would register random for those unaware of the premise. Yet as new permutations emerged, it became clear that Morinaga had actually conceived an entire secondary collection from the original designs. Accordingly, you might be tempted to buy not just the red duffle coat, which was fun and functional, but also the yellow down coat so you could combine the puffed sleeves of one with the body of another. Clever.
Morinaga is among the designers shortlisted for the LVMH Prize—a spot he has rightfully earned on the basis of originality, execution and, yes, proof of concept. The only thing missing: some trace of emotion. It might be unfair to ask this of him given that it’s never been part of his schtick. However, if he could somehow build a block combining ingenuity and feeling, he’d stand to win us over.
