It would be easy to assume Ryunosuke Okazaki’s designs were rooted in futurism. There’s a sci-fi sleekness to his silhouettes and artful use of color, but the designer’s interests lie with the historical—namely, Japan’s Jōmon period, which took place between 4,000 and 300 BCE. Okazaki dedicated an entire segment of his Tokyo Fashion Week debut to pieces influenced by the era and the pottery artifacts from which its name derives. The stark white dress that opened his show had lines strong enough to have been carved from stone, but it moved with fluidity when placed on the body.
Trained in graphic design—which he studied at Tokyo University of the Arts before branching into fashion—Okazaki understands symmetry and how the smallest details can be used to great effect. He is not one to sketch his pieces out beforehand; still, there is nothing haphazard about the work he creates. Each aspect is considered, from his lightweight mesh fabrications to his expressive color palette. The rich crimson used on a shapely statement piece is the same red found in the Shinto religion. At the same time, a gown consisting of a column of fabric petals mimics the mottled hues of insect exoskeletons.
Nature’s purity is something Okazaki kept in mind while creating. Filled with spirals and infinite loops, his forms echo the shapes found in plant life. Indeed, there are moments where Okazaki’s dresses seem like creeping vines that work their way across the body only to bloom into wearable flowers.
Given that he just graduated from college, Okazaki is off to a spectacular start. Surreal yet organic, his clothes have already caught the attention of stylists who’ve outfitted stars like Naomi Watanabe and Kiko Mizuhara in them. His surrealist, history-influenced take on organic forms feels refreshing right now. The road ahead for him looks bright.
