Remember that old Gypsy Rose Lee song, “Let Me Entertain You”? It’s becoming increasingly an on-point chorus for fashion as the business has become about much more than the clothes. So Undercover provocateur Jun Takahashi ditched the usual runway circuit and, taking a fashion-and-art approach, opted for a multimedia installation. Here, he had a very specific story to tell: a supernatural fantasy about llamalike creatures named Graces and their human guardians. Giant moody photographs by Katsuhide Morimoto created the narrative backdrop.
As for the collection itself, displayed on mannequins at the center of the exhibition, it was a rather quiet affair for Takahashi: a tight, 21-look lineup of entirely off-white looks, all romantic and feminine, with a soupçon of tech. Case in point: the satin coat with a plastic pocket and outlet on the sleeve for some electronic device. To this, he added a furlike fringe motif on tunic dresses and pants, as well as casual blouses and cardigans spliced from different textured cottons. On a runway, the collection might have looked a bit lackluster, but here, it was delightful. And, in keeping with the fairy-tale theme, the mannequins sported a whimsical accessory on their shoulders: fluffy bejeweled Grace dolls, designed by Takahashi.





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