Kunihiko Morinaga continued to build on his experimentation with photochromatic technology in his mind-bending spring collection. He recently patented the technology he uses in his distinctive designs, naming it Anvisual.
Titled “Invisible,” this season’s offering was anything but, shaped around an array of transparent PVC shapes that were at first glance crystalline, with brightly hued or white seam details in denim, crochet or cotton. Under each of them was an identical white bodysuit crafted from Fair Trade cotton.
As his models stepped under the ultraviolet lights, the colors shifted like last season. The bodysuits, akin to a chameleon’s skin, morphed with vivid monogram patterns. The transparency shifted, giving way to a rainbow of hues from bright to the most muted.
His deceptive wardrobe took in a range of shapes, from classic staples like trenchcoats, jeans and loafers to inflatable silhouettes that would look more at home in a sci-fi flick. Those graphic hems, when worked in straight lines, were open to new interpretations, evoking the shift-like silhouettes of the Swinging ’60s as their colors switched. Sharp triangles in multiple hues that themselves shifted with the light as the models turned were like Space Age stained-glass windows, as if from a cathedral on another planet.
Morinaga is undoubtedly a master at pushing the boundaries of fashion experimentation. While most of the pieces in this collection defy commercial realism, the Japanese designer is bringing technology out of the screen and onto the runway in real-life clothing that defies interpretation. Even so there were one or two pieces — that sleeveless trench, for example — that would also clearly work on the street.
