Designer Charaf Tajer’s love of Japan — especially the concept of kaizen, or philosophy of improvement — led him to dissect various aspects of the nation’s culture for fall 2025.
“I wanted to represent the duality that you can find in Japan, the darker side of yakuza and the very kawaii world, with both of them colliding somewhere. I feel like we are those two characters at certain moments of our life,” said Tajer, who first devoted a collection to Japan in 2022.
The show first delved deeper into the more serious and corporate side of Japanese society, ushering out geometric knits, wide-shouldered coats, paneled biker jackets, and layered ensembles fusing the kimono, ceremonial tailoring and Japanese family crest-inspired motifs. The color palette was in muted shades of dark brown, gray and black.
The more upbeat, modern influence came through in the second half of the show. The women’s range featured high-waisted cutout A-line numbers in black satin, bustier tops with a thin bow, bubble knit tops with fake rolled-up sleeves, and sequined green miniskirts. The black and mint green color combination took cues from the interiors of the designer’s go-to hotel, the Park Hyatt in Tokyo.
There were also anime-inspired looks including mascot T-shirts, animal ear beanies and dresses with a rather suggestive orchid motif design. In between, the brand offered a few ski looks, presumably for winter getaways to Hokkaido.
A key motif was Made in Italy, hand dip-dyed, heat pressed plastic Sakura flowers seen across the collection. Tajer said they served as a direct tribute to Japan’s unique blend of old and new, echoing the collection’s theme.
