Junya Watanabe unveiled his AW2021-22 women’s collection at the waterfront Toyosu Pit theatre in central Tokyo this week, set on a darkened stage for the imaginary concert of his favourite rock acts from The Who to Metallica, AC/DC and David Bowie. Christened ‘Immortal Rock Spirit’, the collection celebrated the brash androgyny of rockstars past, blowing out the proportions of Western archetypes from Levi’s denim, varsity jackets and dark tailoring into swooping silhouettes with a distinctly Japanese flair.
Beneath mohawk beanies, floppy berets, airbrushed leopard or Hello Kitty hairstyles, Watanabe’s singular talent for dissecting the familiar was on full display, with Gianni Versace’s curling rococo scarf prints panelled into blasted Levi’s denim skirts, jeans exploded into tailcoats, or ribbed cardigans cut up into sweater dresses.