Japan’s stylish new guard is most definitely fighting fit@ Somarta, the most assured collection that showed at Japan Fashion Week, took stylistic cues from the warrior motif, a theme that also played out in the strong collections of Matohu and Aguri Sagimori. Models with bright gold chin guards commanded the catwalk as a backdrop of projections moved from barren trees to flashing lightning.
Likewise, the pieces on the runway escalated from more austere offerings to numbers with flashes of brilliance. Showstoppers featured intricate pleating—some pieces reminded us of Japanese origami—and used studded details to powerful effect: big black studs on a gray knit dress and leather neckpiece, gold studs on a black top, and dark metallic studs on elbow-length leather gloves. Tamae Hirokawa, the designer behind Somarta, worked for Issey Miyake before debuting her own line in 2006, and the training showed. Far from typical Japanese street fashions, Hirokawa’s Somarta line, like the best of her peers, featured crisp construction and sophisticated, modern style.
Photos: Japan Fashion Week Organization
