Mihara Yasuhiro thinks he might be the world’s biggest collector of vintage clothes “probably after Nigel Cabourn,” he said through an interpreter when discussing the inspiration behind his fall collection backstage. “I have more vintage clothes than the vintage shops,” he said.
His passion provided ample research material for a coed lineup built around multiple layers of military jackets, ragged knits and sportswear staples, and parachute pants peppered with patches and graffiti details in blurred and graduated hues.
He carried through his play on volume of the past two seasons, skillfully blowing up the proportions of his designs.
A giant shirt was padded and turned into a too-big coat, and bomber and parachute jackets ballooned around the body like capes, their sleeves and hems falling below the knees. Some were folded back in on themselves, revealing the waist and amplifying their forms. The yarns used for his knitwear were so thick the designs looked a little like a homemade sweater fondly crafted for a Barbie doll of human proportions.
“I was inspired by myself as a kid wearing clothes for adults,” he explained. “Every adult can be a kid. I’m always in memories, not looking at the future.”
Yasuhiro’s childlike spirit was clear when he took his bow, scooping up handfuls of the giant silver confetti that had fallen on the runway during the finale, throwing them in the air and over front-row guests while the cheerleading team that performed during the show looked on.
The designer’s memories of childhood, looking on as the grown-ups partied into the night, were referenced in his glitter treatments, dominated by naive chenille knits. “When I was a kid, this nocturnal life seemed like a symbol of adulthood, but now I’m a grown-up, and when I look at this nocturnal world, it looks really childish,” he said.
There was little infantile about his technique, however, rigorously carrying through his theme to the last detail with an articulate hand and an appealing style vocabulary. But it does beg the question: with no looking to the future, where will he take the collection next?
