If the weather gods were on Shinya Kozuka’s side at his last show in the summer, tonight it seemed they were demanding payback. On possibly the most miserable rainy evening of the year so far, the designer held his fall show in the (drained, but still very wet) outdoor pool of the Tokyo Prince Hotel.
On arrival we were herded into a nearby cafeteria building to escape the deluge, as staff handed out translucent plastic rain ponchos. Then we filed outside to take our places around the edge of the swimming pool. Hundreds of us sat there shivering like damp ghosts, bathed in blue light from the pool as Tokyo Tower blazed red into the night sky above. It was quite the scene.
When Kozuka’s models finally came out and sauntered around the empty pool, the inclement weather almost seemed like it was by design, the models’ scuba flippers splashing lightly in the rain.
The pool came about because Kozuka had taken up swimming after his last show as a way to get in shape, and said he came up with many of his ideas for this season’s collection while in the water. There were trompe l’oeil fur-printed jackets, nylon sewed to look like cable knit, and Kozuka’s own festive take on Fair Isle, which appeared across oversized sweaters, cozy hoodies, and gown-like coats. Then came badge-covered jackets, sequin dresses, pinstripe suits, and one wispy poncho that rippled like water made cloth.
Overall there is an original sense of creativity to what Kozuka brings—his clothes truly don’t look like anyone else’s. But there was so much floating around here that, occasionally, it felt underdeveloped. Kozuka has a lot of ideas, but he needs to edit more.
Still, there was plenty to enjoy, and the rain couldn’t dampen Kozuka’s spirit. Spilling over with inspiration as it was, the designer had named the collection his Winter Feast. And though we went home cold and soggy, we ultimately left feeling well fed.
