Backstage, Kolor’s Junichi Abe was trying to explain what happens when reworking standard garments creates a sense of uncertainty and was apologetic that his words might not be measuring up to the intention of the collection. Of course, parsing clothes can sometimes do a disservice to them. And in this case, the workmanship spoke of the season’s intention as much as any description.
We were back at the Pierre and Marie Curie University campus (scorching heat last June; finger numbing today) and the models arrived via a multi-story escalator with groovy, synthesized music giving the impression that they were descending almost robot-like despite their revisited denim and outerwear. The ‘uncanny valley’ is more an aesthetic than a place, yet it felt like this was our destination.
There, the equilibrium of construction in perfected garments such as a duffel coat or classic shirt was destabilized so that the collar of the former was missing or the collar of the latter had been offset. Nothing too dramatic, mind you. Just enough to wonder if this ultimately enhanced the identity of the wearer or felt unnecessary. But the ongoing exploration of Kolor goes beyond just the deconstruction and reconstruction, to the normalizing of it.
So amidst the workwear jackets spliced with quilted layers; pea coats with tuxedo lapels; varsity jackets with their striped ribbing displaced to the back yoke; waistbands removed and suspended an inch higher; and women’s slingbacks with fleece toe caps, the looks exuded more character than in their typical states. Even more so because there were also random lashings of jewels and gold embroidery.
Abe was wearing the original prototype for the painted chinos that appeared in the show. He said his were from a Kolor collection nearly 20 years ago and gave the studio permission to experiment. Evidently, the effect appealed to them enough to extend the paint marks to sailor smocks and boat shoes. The iterative and artistic development that went into this season’s pieces will surely be noticed by those who are not only seduced by the final product but the process itself. Whether deliberately or a glitch in translation, the press text referred to the mainstay garments as “products known as ‘masterpieces.’” Asked whether he considers himself an artist—especially given all those notions of reconfiguration and collage—Abe replied, “I am a designer, a production designer, a clothes designer.” He is also a designer in constant pursuit of challenging what we take for granted, no further explanation necessary.
