“More subtle than ever” was how Kiichiro Asakawa referred to this season of Stein (stylized ssstein) in his show notes. Having won the Fashion Prize of Tokyo last year, this Paris show is the last one that Stein will receive financial support for from the award. Still, business is healthy and growing—Stein is now stocked in 20 countries—and Asakawa says he plans to continue presenting here.
He should—Paris suits Stein, and it’s good to see the brand slowly level up. In this regard, it’s fabric development that stands out. There is somehow both rigor and fluidity to what Asakawa does with wools, cottons, and leather, which seem to get better-looking each season.
This time he had woven a cotton-rayon with subtly different shades on the warp and weft, which lent the tailoring a soft glossiness. Cow leather was rubbed with oil which gave it depth, while knits were made with transparent threads that again made them sing in the light. A pair of jorts—a style once anathema to elegance if ever there were one—were distressed and faded so artfully that they fit right in alongside the clean shirting and cocoon-shaped jackets. “I’m proceeding with the aim of releasing and delivering each season something that is minimalist, yet natural, yet somehow elegant,” said Asakawa after the show.
Stein makes a lot of product each season, so the impulse to show as much as possible is understandable—but too much layering can at times feel suffocating, especially in a spring collection, and there was room for some breathing space (and maybe some skin!) in the styling. Taken alone, however, it’s hard to deny the beauty of each piece. Watching those trousers float—almost melt—over the parquet floors of the Hôtel de Maisons was a real sight. Subtle, sure, but captivating too.
