Hiromichi Ochiai’s masterful layering of an array of traditional tailoring fabrics, colorful guipure and twisted sporty staples made for a particularly creative take on the ongoing streetwear fixation. In this collection for men and women, Ochiai slashed his panoply of fabrics across the back, holding them together with horizontal zips in a patchwork the Japanese designer called “Together.”
“I tried to put different values together and make a new value to the clothes, with some happiness,” said the designer backstage before the show through an interpreter.
Lace might not be a habitual register for men’s wear, but Ochiai’s brightly hued proposition was convincing, as on a forest green bomber worn over a buttoned-up tartan shirt and contrasting wide-leg check pants. Far from staid, his Prince of Wales check was woven with a rainbow-colored thread that gave it a refreshing twist.
Striped jersey cropped pants, sweatshirts and usurped rugby gear had a childlike charm, knocked home the most by a cotton cape that had a whiff of the superhero about it.
Suiting was reinterpreted as boxy cape jackets, while check shirts were brought to life with their asymmetric cuts — short-sleeve on the one side, cape-like on the other. Camouflage and Western fringed elements, bright floral prints and pleated chiffons all contributed to the appealingly vibrant and eclectic lineup.