Picking up where she left off last season, designer Maiko Kurogouchi once again mined Japan’s ceramics repertoire for the motifs and palette of her fall collection.
This time it was the earthy tones and hand-hewn textures of the 16th century “Old Karatsu” that informed a lineup of silk dresses, array of knits, neatly tailored jackets and pleasantly fuzzy cocoon coats.
Listening to her explain the process and flip through behind-the-scenes images captured in workshops around Japan was, as ever, fascinating.
Case in point: she explained that the crackled pattern on a flowing silk shirt had been obtained through a batik-like technique. An eco-friendly alternative to wax was sticky rice paste — the kind that can be used for the mochi that were served at her show.
As an ensemble, Kurogouchi’s lineup swung between pared back and luxurious and the kind of fare befitting art gallery denizens, minus any affected intellectualism.
Gradient dip-dyes inspired by glazes gave alpaca knits or heat-embossed denims a lived-in look. The floral jacquards of draped dresses replicated the minute motifs spiraling on plates, which were displayed at Ogata, an upscale Japanese restaurant in the Marais, where the show was held.
Kurogouchi said an intimate venue that allowed her to showcase the crafts from which her work stems was an integral part of her brand but also helped ensure these age-old techniques are preserved for future generations.
That’s also why the brand has changed its commercial calendar. For market, it now sells during pre-collections timings in June and January, to give the artisans Kurogouchi works with as much lead time as possible. But collections are also built around the ongoing use of these techniques, rather than one-season highlights.
It might sound like a gamble, but Kurogouchi is a staunch believer that slow and steady wins the race.
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Source: WWD