For his latest women’s collection, Jun Takahashi presented a study in contrasts: slinky black dresses that showed plenty of skin mingled with ivory pantsuits with wide legs and shrunken jackets. The few items that were not crafted from solid textiles incorporated classic motifs, such as a black and yellow plaid or a bright red. Occasionally tailoring dissolved: a tuxedo or trenchcoat on one side yielded to a fringed scarf on the other.
Takahashi opened his show with a series of sexy black dresses with high slits or cutouts revealing the legs, and corset-like necklines. These were followed by demure ivory pantsuits consisting of wide-legged trousers and jackets that nipped in at the waist. Metallics were also on full display, such as with a gold cropped moto jacket, which was paired with wide trousers with zippers running down the front.
The designer dubbed the theme of the collection as “cold flame,” writing in his show notes that “the collection expresses the cold rebellious fire smoldering deep within us. Quiet, elegant and formal pieces are interspersed with a punk rebel spirit and thoughts of peace.” Minus the spiky jewelry, some of the looks were reminiscent of Alber Elbaz in his prime at Lanvin.
Balloon sleeves, cinched-belt waists and soft tailoring rounded out the collection, with the second half showing far more color than the first. Later in the show, the looks erupted in an explosion of color, such as hot pink feathered cocktail frocks, and a blue, floor-length gowns paired with a cropped yellow biker jacket.