Junya Watanabe FW23 Saw Ethereal Soldiers Navigate Through Space and Time

Japanese designer Junya Watanabe has returned to Paris Fashion Week following his women’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection presented in October. For Fall/Winter 2023, the range was soundtracked by Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and pulled inspiration from its intergalactic lyrics.

Welcoming guests into Paris’ Oratoire du Louvre, Watanabe presented an army of female soldiers who have traveled through space from a futuristic universe. Then, using Zeppelin’s inventive melodies as a right of passage, the designer delivered experimental attire for trailblazing pioneers.

Deconstructed and undoubtedly visionary, the collection — which Watanabe noted he preferred not to be called as such — built a cosmic province that previewed protective gear clad with nylon ensembles, mesh underpinnings, and buckled detailing. Like his previous menswear offering, Watanabe worked with Berlin-based label INNERRAUM to craft apocalyptic masks that shield its wearers from harsh outdoor conditions.

Paneled attire was matched with skin-tight bottoms, ultra-wide neck braces, and studded footwear, while padded vests melted into billowing sleeves and ruffled parachute skirts. The range was primarily delivered in gloomy black tones that worked alongside minimal bright memos enchanted with a sense of life. Further dismantled dresses followed leather apron-like variations with metal neck straps and chained kilts, while others boasted zippered compartments and Watanabe’s classic punk personality.

Elsewhere, bulldozed motorcycle jackets clung to models’ shoulders atop chunky turtle neck tops with shimmering ornamentation, adjacent to a single shearling coat and Rick Owens-esque wrap-around puffed outerwear.

Take a closer look at Junya Watanabe’s FW23 collection in the gallery above.

In other fashion news, with Balenciaga Winter 2023, Demna said “fashion can no longer be seen as entertainment.”