Kei Ninomiya’s love for the color black is so deep that it is reflected even in his brand’s name. Yet for his latest collection he mixed the tone with some of the brightest hues imaginable. As he often does, the designer also experimented with texture, giving depth to even the darkest fabrics. He began with a pair of looks in black tulle and a purple printed fabric, quilted into textured squares that stuck out like spikes in strategic places, such as the hips and shoulders.
Zippers were another common element, creating curved cutouts on skirts, lines up the center of trousers, and coat sleeves that opened up at the shoulders. In other looks, straps and buckles crisscrossed over bodices and pant legs for a tough, bondage-inspired feel.
Ninomiya slipped in some frocks in neon pink and green, but despite their bright tones they maintained his signature edginess. A frilled corset and layers of tulle flowed out from the bottom of a cropped moto jacket, while a macramé-like, full hooded cape created a soft cage over a model’s head and shoulders, before trailing down in floor-grazing fringe. A series of sculptural pieces closed out the show in a riot of spikes, spheres and metallic sheens.