Soichiro Ito’s brand soe always finds really down to earth ways of presenting their collections, I remember well how amongst the hype of Versus Tokyo at the last S/S season at Tokyo Fashion Week, soe held a simple outdoors show with no pomp and ceremony, but still with a lot of gravitas. Appropriately, the clothes themselves are likewise free of gimmicks, but rather well observed modern interpretations of classic menswear. This season their muse is French and German workwear of the 1920s, which has enabled Soichiro Ito to embrace factory worker’s aprons and fireman’s coats into the traditional menswear mix, which in turn has ensured that the silhouette remains varied and that the brand won’t be lumped together with all the other workwear that is dominating Japanese menswear right now.
For the lookbook, soe have shot a chronological series of photos that take you from the brand’s workshop, through to their office, on to their flagship and finally on to the streets, and ending on a shot that could be taken from a street snap site. In essence it communicates the subdued nature of the brand, but also how directly the work connects with the street. Compared to the likes of Mean who I have written about recently, it presents itself exactly as it should be worn, and offers the men of Tokyo (and the world) something directly attainable and realistic.
I think there is also a nice parallel to be drawn between the collection that celebrates the workwear of the past, but presented in the workplaces of the present, with the humdrum of the modern workplaces contrasting against the romance and masculinity alluded to in the clothes. Either way I think it is a surprisingly interesting way to present a collection, and one that I am sure fans of the brand are going to get a lot out of.
These are meant to be viewed in order from left to right:
If you want to see past collections, as well as their vast amount of stockists then you can go to their official site here, and I will do my best to keep on top of the flurry of exhibitions that are going on all over Tokyo at the moment and keep you informed.
