Fortunately, the program exceeded expectations. The show opened with a lineup of looks that encapsulated everything AKIKOAOKI stands for. Jackets worn inside out, pants and skirts strategically folded up, and oversized shirts wrapped around the body like cache-coeur tops showcased Aoki’s knack for tweaking tradition to create a distinctively modern wardrobe.

However, around the midway mark, the show took an unexpected turn with the introduction of a soft femininity not yet seen in the brand’s past collections. Skillful pattern work subtly emphasized the chest, while the gathers and fold techniques seen at the show’s start were further employed to accentuate the smooth curves of the waist. Skin-baring lace, slits, and cutouts added a fetishistic accent that heightened the feminine mystique. Cut-and-sewn looks made from nude sheer fabric adorned with bijoux jewels brought an air of elegant haute couture. Meanwhile, long knits and dresses gently enveloped the body, subtly hinting at the feminine curves concealed beneath.

Aoki said this season was inspired by the symbolic act of disrobing at the end of a long day. Piece by weary piece, a woman removes her jacket and unbuttons her shirt, gradually returning to her unencumbered self. A meditation on this subtractive process, Aoki’s designs can thus be read to represent a liberating release from the constraints of womenswear. The collection’s title, “multiplex,” succinctly expressed the layering of disparate elements that pervaded this season. Yet words fail to capture the emotional impact of the intellectual imagination that makes AKIKOAOKI such an inspired brand.