Once you start to notice a shape, you pick up its presence everywhere. A 1978 book titled “Nihon no Katachi,” or “The Shapes in Japan” in English, set designer Maiko Kurogouchi on a path to identify the ones that occur in hers.
Dovetailing with her experiments with ceramics in seasons past, she noticed the similarity between found pebbles and priceless glazed buttons made by renowned British ceramist Lucie Rie.
Arranged in a row backstage, they represented her idea that “regardless whether things come from a museum or the side of a road, everything is equal when you consider them through the lens of shape,” she said.
The focus on shape underpinned Kurogouchi’s work this season. She reached for a curvaceous silhouette — inspired by molds used for traditional paper lanterns — by playing on volumes and drapes.
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Knitwear, quietly introduced a few seasons ago and a fast favorite of the designer, expanded with sculptural 3D versions or gradients that went from solid body to gauzy sleeves.
Other highlights included a jumpsuit in a crisp taffeta, an asymmetric dress in thick twill with a utilitarian pocket and Kurogouchi’s always appreciable tailored jackets.
This elegant, breezy collection offered the kind of fare that will be valued by clients who want exacting sculptural silhouettes without sacrificing ease, a tightrope exercise Kurogouchi pulls off thanks to her keen textile knowledge.
