Japanese designer Maiko Kurogouchi presented the Spring Summer 2020 collection entitled EMBRACE – for her brand Mame Kurogouchi at Paris Fashion Week.
This season the collection casts a light on clothes as a source of protection, delving into the history and traditions of Japanese wrapping. Shimmering fringes trickling down sleeves celebrate the hazy memories of times long past. The full spectrum of greens is created by hallucinatory sunny days. PVC bags are covered with a multitude of fringes, like greenery slowly overgrowing architectural structures.
The Tokyo-based designer draws inspiration from the unwitting nobility of found objects; in the singular beauty of everyday objects elevating through the art of wrapping. The collection expresses the philosophy behind the traditional art of packaging: “The art of wrapping is to wrap your heart”.
Light-as-air layers, cocooning silhouettes, rich fabrics and artisanal finishes are rewriting the code of contemporary beauty. Knitwear and dresses come with sheer fabrics panels in a direct homage to Japanese traditional packaging – a wearable version of wagashi – the traditional Japanese confections. The boldly curved silhouettes are delivered in a fresh, delicate palette and suggestive shadows while Mame Kurogouchi’s original sandals appear in summary mesh fabrics of delicate beige and green.
Complementing the collection are impeccably delicate heels – in black, navy suede and white – created in collaboration with Italian heritage house Tod’s. Their elegant silhouette is the result of a shared vision of craftsmanship – the perfect marriage between Italian craftsmanship and Japanese design.
