The invitation was crafted from natural cardboard with neon pink screen-printed text. This creative reveal set the tone for a collection that adeptly balanced beige trench-coats with vibrant neon sportswear. Watanabe appears to impose strict limitations on himself before starting a new collection, using these constraints to push his creative boundaries. This time, his focus was the trenchcoat, which he deconstructed and reimagined into dresses, skirts, trousers, biker jackets, and more. It’s a simple concept, but adhering to such strict guidelines challenges one’s persistence—something Watanabe has in abundance.
The collection hinted at glitches, with a soundtrack that alternated between piano and rock. Towards the end, prints resembling body-mapping with colorful texture glitches stood out. By definition, a glitch is a sudden, typically temporary malfunction. Anyone familiar with digital art over the past decade knows the abundance of glitch works tracing back to the ‘happy accidents’ of Abstract Expressionists. Digital artists, much like their predecessors, recreate these accidents with deliberate programming, planning, and meticulous effort. As Jackson Pollock famously said, “I don’t use the accident. I deny the accident.” Watanabe would likely agree.
Watanabe makes his work appear effortless, but achieving such an accidental look in tailoring requires a profound understanding of garment construction. His expertise with fabric is unparalleled, and this collection was no exception. These pieces are bound to fly off the racks and into the closets of the fashion-forward.