Excuse a bit of generalizing on my part, but I think it's safe to say that the men's style blogosphere dislikes few things more than "fashion". What may sound a tad bit crazy, since we are talking about a group of dudes who think about clothes way more than what would probably be deemed healthy, actually makes perfect sense. The focus for most of us is not so much on what's trendy in Paris and Milan or how grand of a spectacle a runway show can be, but often on a timeless brand or product that helps define our idea of classic men's style. I guess that's why you're way more likely to read a piece on L.L. Bean's footwear options than something in praise of, let's say, Rick Owens' newest S&M jumpsuit. And I guess that's also why none of the guys who run your favorite style sites would ever consider themselves "fashion bloggers". Personally, I find myself firmly entrenched in this very mindset. The style vs. fashion argument is age old and taking sides is nothing new. Regardless of how I may or may not feel about fashion doesn't mean I don't appreciate designers who I believe have the rare and uncanny ability to synthesize these two ideas. Junya Watanabe is one such designer.
Mr. Watanabe's S/S 2011 collection was recently shown in Paris and I am incredibly impressed. It's a focused collection that recalls classic genres as much as it tries to do something new. All clothing related nomenclature aka mumbo jumbo aside, what actually struck me the most from what Junya presented was how his collection detailed the true versatility of a few classic items -
sailing stripes, white bucks and white pants to be specific. Forget about your personal feelings on the exact cuts or fabrics or models or any other specifics you want to single out for just one second - S/S 2011 truly is a primer illustrating how said timeless gear can be combined together or with what you already own to create a great summer kit. White bucks with jeans? Why the hell not? Rolled white pants instead of standard chinos? Absolutely. Nautical style? Give it a go. Fashion is always going to be, well, "fashion", but that doesn't mean it's absolutely worthless to the kind of guy who wants a timeless closet. Thankfully we have guys like Junya around to remind us of just that.
-L.A.S
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True, nearly ever blogger has thrown in their two cents in this matter. This is one of my favorite posts. It quite sums up the Wilson's (excuse the home improvement reference) on the other side of the fence.
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I think it's a little off too lump all of fashion together. There is so much variance, a huge difference between a badass, grimy rock&roll Gucci show and Rick Owens goth shit. I didn't really like this the looks in this Junya, great individual pieces, fits and assemblages are a bit off though.
ReplyDeleteAmen on this post. Watanabe is one of the few that get fashion right by actually making it wearable.
ReplyDeletenice clothes, fugly models
ReplyDeleteHere, Here. I thought that this collection was by far the most interesting and wearable I have seen yet. I love what designer's like Thom Browne and Paul Smith do. But Watanabe's entire collection is actually wearable. Just wish I could afford it all.
ReplyDeleteJ.W. was one of the best collections this season by far. Classic Americana and fantastic use of colors. Great post!
ReplyDeletevery well written article. thank you.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I love the slightly twisted japanese takes on american classics! his next collaboration for this fall is north face and i cant wait to see what it looks like
ReplyDeleteL.A.S.,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I hate it when people refer to what I write as a "fashion blog." I dislike the word for a lot of the reasons you listed above. I don't think of myself as someone who cares about fashion rather than someone who just pays attention to the clothes I choose to wear.
The way that you dress is a form of self expression which is very different than the self expression that is going on in the runways of Paris, Milan, and New York.
I also think that the word Fashion has other, more feminine connotations. For many people, fashion is associated with the fairer sex. I'm not sure if female bloggers would have the same aversion to the dreaded f-word. Just something to think about.
-Tom
these are good looks because they are classic looks, but as I pointed out at the Sartorialist who ran a similar set of pics, when you come to the matelot look, I've been wearing it for over 40 years but not at Watanabe prices. You get the yellow or other colored waterproof from Helly Hansen, the "Picasso" jersey shirt was being stocked by J. Crew and J. Press earlier in the summer, the chinos and red soled bucks are ubiquitous at BB and elsewhere so for a modest investment you can look as if you stepped off the Watanabe runway
ReplyDeleteIn the blog post "On The F-Word and Junya Watanabe S/S 2011," the author delves into the provocative themes of the collection, highlighting Watanabe's unique ability to challenge societal norms through fashion. The discussion emphasizes how this collection blends avant-garde design with powerful messages, encouraging a critical examination of the fashion industry's role in cultural conversations. Watanabe's work continues to inspire and provoke thought in contemporary fashion discourse.
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