Fumito Ganryu Embraces Lockdown Dressing For SS21

Since its relaunch in 2018, Fumito Ganryu’s clothing label has steadily developed a reputation as the most straightforward brand to have graduated from the COMME des GARÇONS group. Unlike the high-concept, highly cerebral offerings of Junya Watanabe or CDG itself, Ganryu is rooted in a deliberate, pragmatic simplicity.

All of which is to say that it’s a brand perfectly positioned for post-lockdown dressing: as evidenced by its SS21 collection, which has been revealed as part of the virtual edition of Paris Fashion Week. Speaking to HYPEBEAST, the designer acknowledged that his creative process had shifted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It would be difficult to create the collection in the same way as before,” he said. “I decided to simplify the lineup of the collection, and limit it to necessary items. All the items need to be something I would like to wear.”

That translates to what is possibly the brand’s most accessible collection so far: hoodies, short-sleeve shirts, tracksuits, and denim. In short, the wardrobe most of us have fallen back onto since quarantine started and fanciful dressing became redundant. The collection appears to be a deliberate repudiation of the merch-heavy, slogan-covered collections that have come to dominate menswear.

“I am creating the collection for people who don’t buy clothing that is boring, or only in trend today”, Ganryu said, while voicing his “discomfort” with clothing that is only made for limited occasions. “I think my collection can be worn without thinking about the specific occasion or feeling.”

Among the highlights are a series of ankle-grazing nylon trench coats, boxy blazers with unstructured shoulders, and an oversized shirt bisected by a cord pull. Ganryu describes the offering as “comfortable loungewear which you can also wear outside.” When lockdown ends, that is.

For more Paris Fashion Week coverage, check out the latest collection from Lemaire.