Junya Watanabe Men's SS12 - Paris

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Review by Tim Blanks (style.com)

The invitation showed a sweep of grassy farmland extending to the clear blue horizon. It summoned us to the garden of a school for the deaf in a southern part of Paris, not a grand ornamental garden, mind, but a rather more humble plot of vegetables and flowers. Then, to the tune of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," models began crisscrossing the grass, dressed in bib-front overalls, patched cotton work shirts, and wellies. With their flowing hair and the occasional beard, they looked like Harrison himself on the cover of All Things Must Pass, his first solo album after The Beatles breakup. He was in his gentleman farmer phase then, and, for a while today, it looked like Junya was also getting himself back to the garden. There'd been a last-minute switch from the school terrace to the greensward, with its thick, glossy hedge. It made a more fitting backdrop for his natural men in their worn farm clothes. But once Junya began dropping in technical outerwear, the collection became less about the farm and more about his outsider's fascination with American utilitywear.

The waxed-cotton storm jacket, the red mac (in pleather, not oilcloth), and the plaid lined parka had the element of primary-colored surprise that captivates Junya's cult time after time. So did the tech jackets in orange, khaki, and sky blue that topped chambray overalls. He's a great colorist: His tricolor desert boots with Tricker's will stand out next spring.

Junya's presentations always defy the conventional fashion show momentum, which dictates a build to some kind of dressy climax. But for once, this show actually got darker and dressier as it drew to a close. There were still the overalls, but now they were black—and paired with white shirts. There was also a brass-buttoned blazer as polished as bespoke, bar the fact it was patchworked from denim. Though Junya will never give an inch when he's queried about his motivations backstage, you can imagine that that is the kind of garment that most tickles his fancy.

[Faust]

Glad I didn't miss much.

[Johnny]

overall, i don't really like this.

[andrew]

For my sins i quite liked some aspects of last season, but there isnt a single garment here that i like.

[t-bone]

overall, i don't really like this.

legit LOL.

[jogu]

the hale is this shit ? kick this to the curb . i never got into junya but i can appreciate it on others so maybe i hate this collection cos i dont " get it " , who knows

[Pumpfish]

Neh.

This is catalogue clothing, styled by a painter and decorator.

I don't detect any ideas here.

He's doing a Kimmel.

[cjbreed]

the looks toward the end of the show are much better but imo the looks at the beginning bring it so far down that as a collection it can't be saved. the damn bibs and overalls are straight wtf. i mean gimme a break what is this a designer noob's first run at "americana"? no its supposed to be junya.

[casem]

I kind of appreciate the "statement" of this collection, the serenity of the gardens and the dudes in overalls in contrast to the other glossy fast paced fashion shows holds a certain emotional appeal for me. But as clothes, not really digging it. With his superb deconstruction skills, I would think he could have done some interesting variations on the overalls as the show progressed, but it seems his only variation was in fabric and the occasional patchwork. If anyone could make a cool deconstructed overall it would be Junya, but he didn't really go there.

[Dane]

I get that he's running out of americana to play with, but c'mon...these guys look like they clean stables. So much of this is totally unsellable. Total screw-up.