Children of the Discordance FW21 Celebrates African Textiles
In partnership with cultural crossover organization FACE.A-J.
An extension of its existing Fall/Winter 2021 lineup, Children of the Discordance‘s recent runway presentation at Rakuten Tokyo Fashion Week debuted the experimental Japanese brand’s new partnership with FACE.A-J (Fashion and Culture Exchange Africa Japan), founded by Awa’tori. As part of CotD’s effort to craft garments in partnership with underserved communities, the new collection serves up a variety of garments crafted with special African fabrics, accompanied by a variety of upcycled textiles and vintage apparel.
Overseen by UNITED ARROWS director Hirofumi Kurino and Awa’Tori (and with a logo designed by Jun Takahashi), FACE.A-J “aims to contribute to peace and advancement in both Africa and Japan,” according to its statement, “bridg[ing] the gap between both creative markets, and foster[ing] economic and cultural development.” This Children of the Discordance collection is poised to get the ball rolling by incorporating heavily-patterned fabrics and hand-stitched embroidery provided by regional artisans.
These graphical flourishes coincide with deadstock materials retrieved from disparate sources that include curtain suppliers and military surplus stores, all incorporated into a highly wearable selection of menswear looks that both draw from tradition and streetwear fields. There are patchwork sweaters, print-heavy anoraks, bandanna-patterned shirts, washed leather layers, fringed denim items and plenty of baggy trousers fastened with a simple drawstring. The loose cuts and intentionally hodgepodged visual cues are emblematic of CotD’s melting pot aesthetic, matched with a selection of upcycled RECOUTURE sneakers.
Elsewhere at Rakuten Tokyo Fashion Week, Junya Watanabe and COMME des GARÇONS showcased their own FW21 runway presentations.
