Maison Mihara Yasuhiro FW23 Has an “Imitation Complex”
Referencing nuances for the IYKYK crowd, only intelligently.
Did Maison Mihara Yasuhiro just steal Paris Fashion Week FW23 before it’s ended? Perhaps, as the Japanese designer’s runway show comprised dozens of looks, each nuancing a nuance, joking with a joke, not taking itself too seriously all while being — actually — quite serious.
That’s because MMY produced the “Imitation Complex.” Explaining the thought behind this, the designer notes: “I’m still tired. Everything I see looks fake. The context has been frayed, and as they faded, they lost their meaning. Unfortunately, I am trying to remember what they used to look like.”
Simply, MMY asks what’s original, what’s fake, what’s a copy, what’s an homage, and does it all really matter? Against the backdrop of an epic live rolling drumming beat, the House nods to LOEWE with kitten pumps supported with chromatic duck-shaped heels, or lower-slung ones with ping pong ball blocks.
Likewise, the viral grizzly fur boots from FW22 made a comeback as knee-high stompers, and to continue the conceptual copycat nature, there was also a nod to The North Face.
Reading “Sublime Meets Ridiculous” in place of the TNF logo, it felt as if MMY was now really pushing buttons. But he wasn’t done yet, as he copies his own House sneaker, skewing it like a deliberate bootleg of his own design.
The adventurous concept grew with a counterfeit dollar bill dress and cape moment, faux leather painted to look like real, worn-in leather, and underpinning it all: tailoring.
Imitating sartorial codes and traditions, MMY’s tailoring was the perfect all-rounder — old materials like checks and velour, sat with slouching shoulders and lackadaisical trousers.
Take a look at MMY’s stellar FW23 collection above and discover more Paris Fashion Week FW23 content across Hypebeast.
Elsewhere, Paul Smith FW23 is a reflection of the designer’s past.
