This morning was unusually surreal for an Englishman in Paris, much like it was for the entire UK group, who sat in stunned silence after hearing the news that the UK had voted to exit the EU. We half-expected to be herded onto the Eurostar back home. Instead, we found ourselves apologizing profusely (in typical English fashion) and trying to understand who had voted for this decision. Under this cloud of political uncertainty, we found ourselves by the Seine at the Cité de la Mode et du Design, in the graffiti-covered underpass, awaiting the start of the Junya Watanabe show.
The invitation was adorned with illustrations of Eastern European tattoos, and every model was heavily inked from head to toe. They looked like they had just been released from prison, stopping by each section to glare intimidatingly at the audience (one seemed to focus on me each time). The aesthetic was underground rudeboy, complete with porkpie hats and stiff leather jackets, set against a backdrop of stacked speakers blasting Plastic People of the Universe. Affectionately known as PPU, this Czechoslovakian band formed in 1968, faced imprisonment by the Communist regime and secret police, and was only freed during the Velvet Revolution. They reformed in 1997, after being asked by the Czech president to perform at the 20th anniversary of Charter 77, a document suppressed by the Czech government in 1976 for criticizing the government’s failure to protect human rights and uphold United Nations covenants signed in 1966.
This fierce celebration of underground political rebellion and defiance was exactly what we needed this morning, whether intended or not, and we thank you for that, Junya. Additionally, the blazers with leather biker sleeves were fantastic, as were the ingenious rock-and-roll details on the soft tailoring and shirting. We will wear them proudly in our own counter-revolution.