Junya Watanabe SS19 Is All About Storage
Bags, pouches and cargo pockets took center stage.
Junya Watanabe held the fort for Spring/Summer 2019. The designer’s menswear is regarded as being extremely consistent, and this collection falls in line with that notion — Watanabe’s preferred workwear motifs were in full force, abetted by a selection of colorful bags.
Recognizable silhouettes featured scalloped-hem shirting, seam-rich cotton blazers and straight leg denim, all key to Watanabe’s seasonal releases. Camouflage, another staple, appeared on cargo pants, shirts, inside parkas and as paneling on several jeans, reinforcing the range’s blue collar reference points. Collarless sailor caps featured throughout, partnering well with comfortable New Balance sneakers and boxy anorak jackets. Despite playful apple prints and weather-fighting outerwear, the accessories were the collection’s standout: nearly every look featured a jacket or trousers with cargo pockets or shoulder bag, chest rig, holster bag or pouch-heavy vest — if not both. All bags were emblazoned in plaid or bright primary hues, with some so overladen with pockets that models had to stride the runway with spread arms, raising the question: is there such a thing as too much functionality?
For more from Paris Fashion Week, take a look at recent showcases from Ann Demeulemeester, LOEWE, Damir Doma and Pigalle.
