When designing the collection, Tanaka drew inspiration from his prized childhood toy box packed with dolls, sparkly beads, sequins, and all those other little treasures that tickle young hearts. Excavating the memories associated with these trinkets, Tanaka gave them new form and brought them back to life for the modern day.

Naturally, the show featured the brand’s signature lineup of glamorous dresses, as epitomized by a pink doll-like look packed with a flurry of gathers and frills, as well as a lacy micro-mini getup capped with a lace umbrella. Yet this season, these lacy looks shared the runway with regimented, chaste outfits—think soldiers, students, teachers—in an inverse that heightened the fetishistic bent that has bubbled below the brand’s surface. Glasses further accentuated the fetishism with a cooly intellectual confidence.

From grunge looks expressed with chains to menswear looks consisting of sheer tops paired with glimmering metallic skirts, the collection offered a momentary escape from the real world, whisking the viewer away on a flight of creative fancy. However, the sudden appearance of each trench coat and men’s dress pulled the audience back to reality.

Careening back and forth between fantasy and reality, the show came to a close, leaving audiences pleasantly worn-out after the exhilarating roller coaster of a ride—just as tanakadaisuke intended by design.