Masayuki Ino has a few thoughts on diversity and the metaverse.
During a Zoom conversation, the designer spoke of the work he has done for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, reflections that pushed him to create his own reality fronted by the pink-haired virtual character “Imma,” worn as a face mask by an eclectic lineup of models.
The video for a collection entitled This is Me uses a Shibuya turnstile and “scramble crossing”—actually a set—as a portal into Ino’s rose-colored world where clothes speak to longevity of wear and lead a gender-, ability-, and size-neutral existence.
To that last point, applying the Arimatsu shibori technique to super-stretch denim—seen here in look 12 and on the photo-printed cargo pants in look 21—lets the fabric suit any morphology from small to XL. A favorite vintage jacket informs a leather one with adjusted shoulder pads that let it stay put when worn as seen here on look 17.
The designer also delved deeper into alternative fabrics, scouring the country in search of new ideas. Ironic though they appear, underwear and socks emblazoned with “Made for Disposal” are playing it straight: they’re made from a textile developed using 100% PLA (polylactic acid), a biodegradable derivative of sugarcane starch (just wash them on cold). A blouson and trousers not shown here were made using the same fabric.
Elsewhere, a cream-colored shearling-style jacket was made of recycled cashmere and mushroom leather, a material also used for patch embellishments on the chains of real-leather bags, a collaboration with the Japanese accessories brand Robert Judson.
Other statement-making outerwear included a dye-free, glossy khaki bomber and parka made from basalt-derived fabric that retains the original igneous rock’s characteristic lightness, warmth, and water-resistance.
Fur, too, went meta: reclaimed collars from forgotten storage became a limited-edition coat; fully embroidered skirts in wool were brushed to look like fur; and real fur shavings were upcycled with wool and nylon into a “real-faux” fabric. Mind-bending? Yes. But innovation is Ino’s priority—and if it’s good for the environment too, that’s a win all around.
Ultimately, however, the metaverse is a way of comparing things with the physical world: nothing artificial can equal the poetic fluttering of hand-crocheted butterflies, or the charm of a belt made of souvenir keychains that were otherwise destined for landfill.
“My job is to create more happiness in the real world,” the designer offered. With this collection, he’s done just that.
