Japanese brand Auralee returned to the runway with a new energy after two years of digital presentations.
Unfortunately for those in Paris, the physical show was 6,000 miles away in designer Ryota Iwai’s native Tokyo after a late-stage change. Still, Iwai always planned for this collection to be seen in person, where an audience could “have that tension of being inside a space, of getting ready to start and the flow of the being able to go along with the music,” he said.
Iwai builds his coed collections from the fabric up, and this time he toyed with tweed for the first time. “The thing about tweed, because it has that sort of classic nuance, we wanted to be able to balance that with more modern elements and make sure it didn’t feel too steeped in tradition,” he said.
The result was loose suits, oversize worker jackets and smock dresses that maintain a streamlined silhouette while boasting roomy pockets. The neutral palette of creams and beige was punctured with bright puffer jackets in grass green and cobalt blue, which added energy.
This marks Iwai’s sixth turn collaborating with New Balance on trainers, and he’s been quietly building his own accessories offer as well. This collection debuted new shapes of soft slippers, loafers and derbies; he added hats and gloves in camel and cashmere for an air of coziness.
