KOLOR X DAIDO MORIYAMA
Designer Junichi Abe doesn’t necessarily get to reinvent the wheel with his label Kolor… but does he make it better? He definitely does. Clothes from Abe’s collections may on the first glance appear familiar, as they usually are wardrobe staples that are known by all, owned by most, such as blazers, cardigans, knit jumpers and trousers, but the way the designer reconstructs and juxtaposes classic clothing in a manner rarely seen before — it makes the traditional contemporary.
For AW21, most pieces, if not all, were mismatched. But anyhow Abe has delivered an outcome that’s fluid and balanced. Suits were garnished with either Aran cable knit, fishing equipment-like mesh or down puffer trims. The fits were baggy, layered, sometimes awkward. And yet it all made sense, and looked uniform.
To revisit this collection, the designer has paired with someone who he says had great influence on him, the photographer Daido Moriyama. And this type of collaboration, between a fashion label and an independent artist, actually is a rare occasion for the photographer, who’s renowned for his street snapshots.
“It was a great honour to collaborate with Daido Moriyama, a legend for me and many others,” Abe says, in a press release. “I was pleased to see Kolor through his eyes and I hope many people will enjoy this experience.”
Named 撮, whose Chinese character means “(photo) shooting”, the photoshoot, which took place at the Kolor atelier in Tokyo, is now being exhibited at the brand’s Japanese flagship stores /
