For anyone casting an eye over the Doublet collection and wondering if they spotted Chewbacca in a leather jacket—you are right. And if you thought those balloons were a tribute to Banksy, you’re right on that too (no, the designer doesn’t know Banksy, but he’s a big fan).
Staged in an outdoor courtyard at the Faculty of Pharmacy on a bitterly cold Sunday morning, the show opened with an amusement park-style performance of dancing characters. Some were emoji-like, others were a tad more out-there. As in: Star Wars Cantina out-there.
For Masayuki Ino, winner of the 2018 LVMH Young Fashion Designers Prize, melding the human and animal worlds offered a platform for speaking about diversity.
“When you watch Star Wars, vastly different creatures from across the galaxy are friends,” he said through an interpreter. “When you look at the jungle ecosystem, all the animals live in harmony. It’s only human beings who keep to themselves, and mess things up.”
The amusement park setting, of course, is just the get-up. Yes, there are fishtail skirts with actual fishtails and, true to form, silly sweaters with openwork eye holes that can, at a push, be worn over the head. But with a little patience and parsing, one can discern some finely tailored shirts, covetable sweats and tees (all from recycled cotton, the designer noted) and tops that are one-size-fits-all inclusive.
There were also some very pretty velvet dresses showered with pearls, interesting knitwear techniques that recalled sargassum, wispy handknits, tailored overcoats, and a one-shouldered tee with an ”I (heart) D” graphic. Whether that’s D for Doublet or diversity, it was winning.
