Junya Watanabe Mens F/W09.10 Paris

[maldoror]

I don't know, I'm just not down with it. You can buy pretty much all those looks from someone like Engineered Garments and pay 1/4 of the price and still look like you are camping 24/7.

LULZ.

[Vahiren]

I always want to like Junya Watanabe, but he makes it increasingly hard for me to do so.

[sbw4224]

I think you guys are being overly harsh on this collection. Sure it's nothing new from Junya, but a nice progression of what he's done over the last few seasons. Customers who have invested heavily in Junya over the past year and a half will be able to incorporate this well into their wardrobe.

Pros:
Great colors and hues.
Jackets will be well-made and will have interesting tailored details not seen in these pictures.
Good take on classic shoes.
Despite the comparison to EG etc, the cuts on most of these pieces will probably be much better than any of those said labels.

Cons:
Footwear and jackets will probably start at $1500.

[howl]

kinda like a recollection of all his earlier collections
________
Extreme q

[curiouscharles]

did they just dig through a value village to piece these outfits together?

it sure looks like that's what's happened.

[casem]

Dear Junya,
You like Americana. We get it, you didn't grow up with it so it's new to you. The rest of us have this thing call Ralph Lauren and his spawn Tim Hamilton and Micheal Bastian. Please do something better with your talent.

Hasn't he done this collection before? I'm pretty sure this sweater was on yoox like a year ago.

[lowrey]

I don't know, I'm just not down with it. You can buy pretty much all those looks from someone like Engineered Garments and pay 1/4 of the price and still look like you are camping 24/7.

im over recycled americana

lmao. so true.

[Fade to Black]

By no means am I Junya's biggest fan, there are aspects of the brand I don't agree with

But reading some of the comments in this thread I am beginning to wonder if people just experience designer clothes through pictures or have actually handled pieces by Junya in person.

If you can't distinguish between something like a reworked Junya "Americana" jacket and an Engineered Garments that makes the former a product of greater technical ability and craftsmanship, I got no idea what to tell you. If anything it's probably a testament to the guy's brilliance.

[Fade to Black]

I think you guys are being overly harsh on this collection. Sure it's nothing new from Junya, but a nice progression of what he's done over the last few seasons. Customers who have invested heavily in Junya over the past year and a half will be able to incorporate this well into their wardrobe.

Pros:
Great colors and hues.
Jackets will be well-made and will have interesting tailored details not seen in these pictures.
Good take on classic shoes.
Despite the comparison to EG etc, the cuts on most of these pieces will probably be much better than any of those said labels.

Cons:
Footwear and jackets will probably start at $1500.

On point as usual Scott. This was the only comment in the entire thread that reflected an independently thoughtful insight.

[Sergei_S]

Just don't get me wrong guys, but thid is shit! No excuses.

[Fade to Black]

not at all Sergei, it is totally cool for you to think this is shit, i respect your right to have that opinion

it's just a lot of comments on runway show discussions (not singling out SZ, it has happened a lot elsewhere, both on and offline) tend to be comprised largely of off-hand comments that seem grounded based on solely experiencing the looks through frozen photos (where movement can't even be seen, and in some designers' cases this is especially key).

Definitely have been some shows I was not impressed by the runway photos, but turned a new eye for me when I handled it in person, and the reverse as well (Givenchy S/S 09 was a HUGE letdown after my initial enthusiasm for the show).

[Sergei_S]

not at all Sergei, it is totally cool for you to think this is shit, i respect your right to have that opinion

it's just a lot of comments on runway show discussions (not singling out SZ, it has happened a lot elsewhere, both on and offline) tend to be comprised largely of off-hand comments that seem grounded based on solely experiencing the looks through frozen photos (where movement can't even be seen, and in some designers' cases this is especially key).

Definitely have been some shows I was not impressed by the runway photos, but turned a new eye for me when I handled it in person, and the reverse as well (Givenchy S/S 09 was a HUGE letdown after my initial enthusiasm for the show).

I got your point but to be honest, I don't think I need closer look at this collection.

For example, I didn't like RO ss08 collection at first sight. And I thought that I have see this clothes by myself, touch it, try it on. Finaly I realised that there were some cool pieces

Here I don't even want to take a closer look, though I respect Junya and love his work. I don't want to look like a carpenter-camper-fisher )))

[Casius]

Fade- You also have to take into account that Junya's current design aesthetic isn't up the alley of most posters here, myself included. I still he think he makes good clothing but it's not my style and nor am I willing to pay his exorbitant prices.
The point isn't you always have to 'distinguish' between a Junya (designer) garment and another lower brand's garment because sometimes, a flannel shirt is, a flannel shirt.

Oh and obviously the only way any of us can form opinions is by looking at photos, that's all we have at the moment. But I have handled Junya pieces in person over the last few years and I am not impressed whatsoever with his last 2 collections in the stores. This is why I said earlier, Number Nine did it better; They at least used premium materials and formed garments that are indeed inspired by Portland/the outdoors/etc. but they had very good detailng and craftsmanship (for the items I handled).

I'm just over Junya's stale Menswear. His Womenswear has been getting a lot of attention; Fall 08 was a masterpiece! Many would argue SS09 was as well (although not my cup of tea, at least it was different) but yet the Menswear seems to keep getting the reworked Americana treatment.

[homi]

this isnt so bad imo. i like the cuts on the trousers, the colors and overall styling. not saying id buy any of it but its certainly not atrotrious and i think junyas appeal is he can go re-visit different cultural areas/periods

[casem]

Of course most things are better close up, but that doesn't mean we can't make informed judgments on the aesthetic he is presenting.

It doesn't help that Junya collaborates with the brands he's mashing up as well, so what looks like a cut up brooks brother's jacket on the runway is actually: a cut up brooks brothers jacket. I've handled a good deal of Junya in person, and I've never found anything special I didn't see on the runway, if anything it feels cheaper than expected for the price because of his use of the original brands materials (like those horrible Vanson leather jackets).