Julien David returned to his home base of Tokyo last season a week after the tsunami, a sensitive moment to say the least. "The ground was shaking for a month and a half afterward," he explained backstage after his show. That cemented a collection concept that had been kicking around his head for a while—that of the big crunch. In short: It s the big bang in reverse, and yes, it means the end of the world.
But David s collection wasn t apocalyptic. In fact, it had a springy, street-bound life to it. (To wit: The Webster s Laure Heriard Dubreuil, who currently stocks the line, beamed afterward, "Lots of things for Miami!") A tweed jacket, worn with skinny jeans and suede Birkenstock-like sandals, got its hourglass waist from crunched-in gathers. David turned despair into the swirling teardrop-tattoo print on airy georgette blouses and knotted scarves. Ideas about displacement and tremors led to the shifted lapel (evidence of a clever and skilled tailor) on a sugary pink wallpaper-print blazer, and the random little patches of herringbone that interrupted the uniform pattern on a gingham shirt.
Though subtle, it s those details that make David, an utter fabric wonk, stand apart from any other Tom, Dick, or Henrik sewing up a billowy anorak. The best part of his show is heading backstage to study at close range the fabrics he spends two months each season developing exclusively for his label with a mill in Ichinomiya. This time it was a gorgeous, lightweight double-faced denim jacquard, cut into a little blazer and sleeveless trench with finished seams that you imagine will fly off Dubreuil s racks, and that blink-and-miss-it but very cool gingham. David is no copyist, but his thoughtful and highly original approach to street wear recalls Junya Watanabe. He might just be getting started, but you d be smart to watch this space.
