It’s clear from his first ever solo collection that Fumito Ganryu was heavily influenced by his time at Comme des Garçons. But while Rei Kawakubo’s famous megabrand was all about deconstructing clothing, Ganryu’s was all about protecting it. Take the monk-like neoprene robes that started the show for example. So wide and freeform were their silhouettes that one could easily have worn another outfit underneath, which was the whole point of their construction in the first place. A lot of his other pieces were crafted and worn as accessories to otherwise already-complete ensembles, proving how one can style clothing in such a way that it’s not deconstructed but also not mainstream. It was also evident from this first outing that he has a strong respect for craft, for even the clothes, such as the pants that were hanging from shorts or the hoodies worn as hip-capes, were exquisitely made and cut to perfection. Such a strong point was made in that show in Florence, and it’s exciting to see what other messages this new designer has to offer in the world of menswear.
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