JW

<JUNYA WATANABE>

Born in Fukushima,JAPAN in 1961, Junya Watanabe attended Bunka Fashion College, Toyko till 1984. He began his professional career in the fashion industry by starting a apprenticeship at Comme Des Garcons the innovative fashion house run by Rei Kawakubo, Watanabe started as a pattern cutter and in 1987 he was promoted to chief designer of Tricot knitwear line to then on to designing the Comme Des Garcons Homme line.

Watanabe grew considerably at Comme, he started his own label under his own name  called 'Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garcons' in 1993, progressing on to showing in Paris the same year! In 1994 he launched his own collection.

REI KAWAKUBO-

Kawakubo was and still is a large influence to Watanabe, she was his mentor, you can see a reflection of Kawakubo within Watanabe's collections, not to say Junya Watanabe doesn't have his own personal approach to design, quite the contrary. 

His designs change dramatically each season, from futuristic, noen punk, abstract oriental peasant, near to poetic. His garments have irregular touch to random pleating, ruffs, tucks, rushing and patchwork.

In past collections he has used boiled wool and black leather, a cocooned japanese style in florals, layered white cottons with cape sleeves and uneven heming, two looks in one garment(reversing colours), waterproof skirts, 30s style dresses in satin and velvet, 18th Century milkmaids with parachutes and florals.

Looking from one collection to the next you can really see the difference in approach in each, each one is heavily inspired by one thing or another, whether it may be 18th Century milk maid that have parachuted in to a field of flowers that set of his mind into a wonder of ideas.

<FAVOURITE COLLECTIONS> 

SPRING 2004 READY-TO-WEAR

SPRING 2003 READY-TO-WEAR

FALL 2005 READY-TO-WEAR

SPRING 2010 READY-TO-WEAR

SPRING 2012 READY-TO-WEAR

FALL 2012 READY-TO-WEAR

<COLLABORATIONS>

LEOWE & JUNYA WATANABE-

FALL 2013 READY-TO-WEAR

Collaboration with Spanish fashion house Loewe.

They created a capsule collection of clothing and accessories, which coincidentally coincided with the Spanish and Japanese's government declaring that between 2013/2014 it was to be Japan in Spain and Spain in Japan, to strengthen the relationshop between the two countries. It is to promote social relations, cultural and economic differences between them.

Furthermore it clashed with Loewe's Anniversary of 40 years of being in Japan.

THE COLLECTION INCLUDED SUCH THINGS AS...

• Classic Biker jackets
• Range of fabrics used. Leather, tweeds, felt, denim
• Colours used. Black, grey, orange, red, blue, cream, multi coloured tweeds, browns
• Couture cutting techniques showed in the garments 
• Sporty looks
• Sensible street style
• Accessories. Bags,unusual to see with Junya Watanabe- Loewe influence