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Photographed by Theo Liu and styled by global contributing fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, this portfolio was first imagined as a tribute to the glamorous rebellion (or, perhaps, rebellious glamour) of the late Vivienne Westwood, and her wonderfully off-kilter clothes. In the end, however, the story mingled Westwood’s roguish aesthetic sensibility with a whirlwind tour of Tokyo—a place where the designer’s most provocative work has resonated for decades—starring a jolly band of models, chefs, floral artists, bonsai masters, musicians, and content creators.
To Karefa-Johnson, in a year like 2023, there is something inherently subversive about out-and-out beauty. “As we enter a period of fiscal conservatism in the face of recession, as we approach elections globally that challenge human and civil rights, and with war in Europe and natural catastrophes all over,” she says, “fashion has a distinct opportunity, maybe even responsibility, to act as a vehicle for liberation and beauty and art and fantasy—all while reflecting the world we live in.”
So, forget—for a moment, at least—quiet luxury, and submit to a full-throttle love affair with fall fashion at its most delightfully, and defiantly, exuberant. Locations from Shibuya up to Taitō set the scene.
In this story: hair, Issac Yu; makeup, Ana Takahashi. AMKK (Azuma Makoto studio).