After seasons of experimenting with the idea of workwear, DressedUndressed’s Takeshi Kitazawa and Emiko Sato were ready to leave the office behind. By switching gears for Spring 2018 with a collection filled with boudoir motifs, the duo moved from the boardroom to the bedroom. Starting with models Yue Ning and Kasia Jujeczka in a pair of lace-accented slip dresses in black and beige with slits that stopped just below the navel, the designers delved into seductive territory. With barely there boy shorts worn beneath both looks keeping things tame, the sexiness wasn’t overt, but the unapologetically feminine message provided an appealing counterpoint to the androgynous pieces the brand has become known for.
The pair continued the theme with nude slips worn as skirts and transparent leggings peeking out from billowing white dress shirts, and they expanded the idea into their menswear offering: gauzy briefs for daring souls and glossy trenchcoats for those inclined toward modesty. With a generously proportioned take on the three-piece suit providing the requisite serious business look, Kitazawa and Sato were free to spend the remainder of the collection exploring streetwear standards. Oversize raw-denim jackets, utilitarian anoraks, and cropped flares are currently fixtures on Tokyo’s runways, and though the label’s versions of those staples were appealing, they lacked the oomph of the lingerie-inspired moments. Ending things with Ning sporting a lace-covered slip and little else, Kitazawa and Sato offered a literal interpretation of states of undress while hammering home their lineup’s strongest visual.
