The collection shows something unmistakably different to previous seasons. There are less androgynous features, such as boldly revealing designs and silhouettes revealing elegant curves. Instead, there is an air of an intelligent and mature man: structural jackets and coats with sharp shoulder lines; thick knits with narrow V-necks that show off a well-trained body. The colours are darker and more subdued – black, grey, navy, brown – and there are none of the signature pale hues. The bold use of accent colours such as vivid orange and glossy green adds a refreshing touch.

Inspiration was sourced from the sculptural works of the renowned artist Katsura Funakoshi, Balenciaga jackets during the Nicolas Ghesquiere era (Fluss designer Hikaru Kodama purchased one memorable piece at a vintage store as a student) and founder Cristobal Balenciaga’s cocoon silhouette, as well as the brand’s own archive pieces. In fact, many recent pieces are a reflection of these references. Layered fabrics around the neck are reminiscent of Funakoshi’s sculptures, boxy silhouettes show the influence of Balenciaga’s jackets. A more masculine cocoon silhouette is expressed through the adoption of action pleats, while there’s also the combat-style V-neck sweater from the 2022-23 AW collection and the innovative leggings from 2023-24 AW, which extend all the way up to the chest.

“This season, I really aspired to create something new. I was less conscious of the combination of different pieces, instead making one product after another, creating things that I genuinely wanted to create,” said Kodama. However, the products still embody the essence of Fluss. The designer’s philosophy and style are now so solid that even the combination of incoherent pieces, when viewed as a whole, undoubtedly constitute one of Fluss’s collections. Kodama’s narrative is exceptional, as he crystallises scattered and unconnected ideas derived from his intuition into a single story with a powerful message, as if encountering those ideas is inevitable.