YUIMA NAKAZATO | FALL / WINTER 2012

Costume designer Yuima Nakazato, whose clientele include Lady Gaga and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, turned out an Fall / Winter 2012 men’s collection dramatic enough to stop any show.

Inspirations were taken from comic book superheroes and the glam rock era. This resulted in the collection serving up a good dose of futurism, with iridescent sea blue vinyl forming floor length skirts, chaps, and a take on the superhero cape. The rigidity of this fabric allowed for strong structural silhouettes – angular shoulders drew a masculine physique whilst a panelled coat painted the image of a space age knight.

These strong structures were juxtaposed with much softer lines created by the use of fluid cream satin. Simple carrot-top trousers, puff sleeved jackets and panelled skirts gave a feminine edge to the collection, which was enhanced by Bowie-esque styling. To counter this, the collection was studded throughout with elements of leather in the shape of jackets, trousers and skirt panels. Suggesting at rebellion and fetishism, this added a subversive edge to an already outrageous collection.

Driftwood accessories suggested a pre-occupation with aesthetic impact as opposed to wearability, but given the designers background, this is hardly surprising.

- Zoe Dickens