For his first Tokyo Fashion Week show in three years, Shinpei Yamagishi chose a traditional Japanese garden as his venue. Models paraded among the trees, and pond, passing over bridges and up a stone staircase in the process. The rain that had fallen throughout the day let up just in time for the show, but a slight fog lent a moody vibe that complemented the live guitar, violin and vocal music.
The look: Yamagishi incorporated country and romantic influences, which he mixed with a modern take on formalwear. Textiles were richly textured and often deeply pigmented: raised, thin stripes in bright orange, white and colorful flecks were seen on trenchcoats, pants and jackets, while a metallic, leaf-patterned jacquard in red and black was used for short-sleeved shirts and pleated, knee-length shorts. Yamagishi also showed a variety of softly tailored suits: a shimmering navy one, a black version with an off-center, double-breasted jacket and ankle-length skirt, and a baby blue iteration with wide-legged pants and a leisure-suit-inspired jacket.
Standout pieces: Long, sheer coats in abstract prints and bright colors including crimson and aqua created a compelling element of movement while adding interest to the more basic pieces they were layered over.
Takeaway: Yamagishi has honed his skills as a designer since his last show in Tokyo, and the collection was more professional and polished than some of his previous offerings. There were some misses, but in general the collection was strong, and will surely please the designer’s many fans.
