This season, the brand’s journey began with looking back through its history and archives. The collection notes said it was an attempt to “make products with radical forms more relevant to the human body in everyday, social settings.” While pieces from previous seasons were like works of art, not easily considered wearable, this season saw everyday urban clothing with renewed forms and fewer decorative elements. Despite this, the brand’s essential creativity was evident. The tailored jacket, the brand’s most well-known item, has a standard style yet is characterised by prominent shoulders and bell-sleeves with slits, while the simple long coat has a stooped back with a hood sewn inside. The styles may be sophisticated, yet the products have an unmistakable uniqueness and playfulness. The signature bow-tie blouse was changed from silk satin to cotton, with silk satin used for more casual items including an MA-1 jacket and tracksuit. While the previous season was about “thinking in reverse”, the brand now seems more focused on the relationship between material and product.

An Ikebukuro amusement complex, Rosa Kaikan, was chosen as the venue for the new collection. Contrasting the gaming arcade used as a runway, the eye-catching use of a repetitive rose motif drew inspiration from the building’s logo. Designer Keisuke Yoshida also wove elements of his own everyday life into the designs, bringing a touch of reality to elegant pieces with deep links to the non-everyday. There was a quilting jacket with hints of the pattern on his French bed mattress, while a belted coat had faithful reproductions of the carpet at his parents’ home.

“Solitude” was the keyword for this season. It’s a word that can mean the malice affecting one’s soul, yet when seen from someone else’s perspective, it can appear both decadent and fascinating. It is also a motif that can be a forbidden fruit for Yoshida. The designer has been drawn to and even relieved by solitude that can occasionally cause hardship. Such contradictions led to the concept of making clothes both elegant and ordinary, which can of course be considered paradoxical ideas.