Dear Shaded Viewers,
Junichi Abe, known for his keen eye for detail and the ability to transform clothing with a mesh of different patterns, chose to present his latest collection for Kolor with the help of robotic arm systems. Since we cannot see the clothes in person, the digital show zoomed in on every detail, fabric and color in case we missed it.
With palettes of green, blue, brown and grey, the SS22 season’s asymmetric looks carried a preppy and sporty aesthetic. The star piece of the season was the polo, deconstructed and meshed with oversized coats, blazers, pullovers and shirts. My favourite piece was the light grey blazer that was combined with green and red knit pullover on the collar, overlaying tailoring with athleisure. With a more minimalist approach, Kolor continued its path towards mixing and matching different fabrics, giving a sense of uniqueness to classic everyday pieces.
“Our work is to communicate with people through our clothes but during the crisis, people couldn’t come to our stores to touch or wear our product. Therefore, I am struggling with the way we can deliver our mission without customers being able to physically shop in our stores. For example, we started our official online store in February, and due to the crisis, we are left wondering: is there any way we can show more details with imagery or deliver the sense of touch with e-commerce? Is it possible to assist our customers on a one-to-one basis using technology? Such questions arose because of the current situation.” explained the designer in an interview last year with Esquire.
Despite the amount of overlaying materials, there was a feeling of lightness in the clothes. This is where the uniqueness of Kolor comes in, it never looks too much or too little. In a modernised patchwork tradition, with each collection Junichi Abe is able to deliver youthful, fresh and unexpected looks.
