Fumito Ganryu proved, with his Fall 2019 Menswear show, that he’s still very much a neophyte as an independent fashion designer. After having worked under Rei Kawakubo in Commes Des Garcons, he recently set out to carve his own identity in the industry, which is unmistakably still unrefined. There was a lot of confusion at his latest collection, from his tragic spins on classic styles to his up-ended avant-garde approach to sportswear. Just because one makes a piece oversized doesn’t necessarily merit interest from the streetwear crowd. Here, his oversizing was unnecessary and bulky, giving no credence to the now famous look and making it seem more gimmicky than it actually was. It was most evident with the awkwardly long tracksuit pants that almost looked like harem trousers—it borderline looked costumey. A Chanel-looking cardigan was completely misplaced amongst the generally plain and streetwise sportswear parade that was the show. And the latter black section of the show was basically a rehash of the beginning looks earlier. Ganryu still has a lot to learn in terms of the building is own identity, and if he needs time to form it, maybe forgoing a fashion show during Paris Men’s Fashion Week will be a good idea!
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
