In September 2018, YOHEI OHNO showcased its Spring/Summer 2019 collection at creme de la creme.studio, retro-inspired space on the 8th floor of Harajuku New Royal Building.
With exposed concrete walls and great cityscape through the window, the room is lit with indirect lighting only. The relaxed atmosphere made me feel as if I were in a resort in the middle of the constantly busy and stressful Shibuya area. Showcased in the room were interior decorations selected by the designer Ohno and his new collection. “It represents the element of summer and cold feel,” Ohno said.
Seeing the exhibition, I understood that YOHEI OHNO’s brand concept “inorganic” means the distance between clothes and a wearer. “Summer cold,” the theme of this season’s collection, aptly reflects the emotional cold feel from the distance between clothes and a wearer and the sensory one from the Spring/Summer collection.
The designer has experimented how he can create “inorganic” clothes by incorporating the elements of interior products as well as unconventional ideas around constructions and fabrics. In this season’s collection, the designer seems to have taken an opposite approach, featuring wearable fashion items while making them something distant. A typical example is a fit and flare dress with tight top and charming wide bottom. Excessively highlighting the flared shape, the designer uses urethane pads around the waist and makes it something that reminds us of a classical dress. Taking off these removable pads makes it a straight dress for more casual occasions. Employing the fit and flare design for pants as well, the collection features items incorporating feminine elements.
YOHEI OHNO’s early collections had an impact like no other with the use of graphics to express the inorganic nature. For the last few seasons, the designer got rid of this element and expresses it with materials and colors. “I can now show the uniqueness of the brand with silhouette,” commented Ohno. Creating the brand’s signature jacket with rounded sleeves from the shoulders to the arms normally requires a special tailoring knowhow. Instead, Ohno creates the silhouette based on the idea of making a jacket
with texture and constructive sewing. It seems the brand-ism of designing the process of making clothes is alive.
YOHEI OHNO is the winner of the women’s wear category of the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize Asia semi-finals. It will be presented at the global final to be held in London in February 2019. It is a global design award hosted by The Woolmark Company to identify next-generation talent. This year, applications were received from over 300 emerging designers in more than 46 countries. The Japanese brand Ohno was selected as a designer passionately suggesting clothes with a new approach. Let us keep an eye on his future brand creation and activities both at home and abroad.
Brand: YOHEI OHNO
