The word “antithesis,” according to Ujoh’s Mitsuru Nishizaki, signifies not a break but a questioning. This was the starting point for a collection where he and co-creative director Aco Nishizaki sought to scrutinize Ujoh’s codes and rethink them, he said, in order to newly assert the label’s DNA.
Signature layering and tab tie details were still omnipresent, but lines shifted slightly as they sought to channel opposing forces. Looser volumes and A-line silhouettes were accentuated by asymmetric cape-like elements and the odd pleat, as on the sides of Bermuda shorts worn over matching trousers in striped or plain menswear fabrics.
A slow fashion approach was summed up by the use of a Schöherr loom from the ‘60s. Its low speed creates a loose weave that allowed the combination of a transparent silvery nylon ribbon into black wool to create a semi-transparent check fabric. Elsewhere, threads were snipped by hand to create fringing details for coats and skirts done in black or eggplant shades.
Zippers were integrated in unexpected places — in a V-shape across the front of suit jackets, or halfway down a skirt. Unfastened, they added an edge to looks that could otherwise mirror classicism.
Ditto the popper fasteners that punctuated sleeves, revealing the layers beneath. Sheer laces underpinned silhouettes, adding lightness, in contrast with the chunky thickness of attractive knits and statement outerwear options featuring faux suede and fur. Check shirting fabrics, meanwhile, were intended to nod to the grunge movement.
That was not the only musical reference; Ujoh collaborated with Japanese pop outfit Dreams Come True, making costumes for the duo’s upcoming arena tour starting later this month. Those looks were shown on the runway, and the band’s music featured as the finale.
