via japanesestreets
Initial thoughts:
Shinichiro Arakawa’s work consists of fully enclosed suits or garments limiting the whole body and biker jackets. In my opinion, Shinichiro should be recognized as a legitimate brand with the likes of Beauty:Beast, 20471120, Le Grand Bleu, IfSixWasNine, KMRii, Lad Musician, etc. Although he is in the same genre as those creatives, he is not well discussed amongst fashion lovers as other designers. For this reason, I wanted to research his portfolio of work and who he is as a human. Although I feel as if I can't give a full dive into the clothes, because I have not yet experienced them, I will still give my opinion.
Overview:
Born in Kiryu City in the Gunma Prefecture, Shinichiro’s first instance with textiles were buttons, playing with them as a child. Although he does not attribute his father for becoming a fashion designer, the complex processes of textiles were always present in his everyday life since his father worked with them. Years later, he graduated from Tokai University, which does not provide any fashion courses to their students. Only one could assume what kinds of courses he took. After graduating, Arakawa went to Paris and pursued a class on stylism, where he met his mentor Christopher Nemeth, who showed him how to design clothes. Shortly after, Shinichiro moved to London to work with Nemeth. After graduating from Studio Berceau, Paris, Shinichiro showcased his first collection also in Paris. Continuously releasing more lines of his designs, Shinichiro returned to Japan to display his 95/96 AW collection in 1995. After this collection, he opened his first flagship store in Paris in 1996, then collaborating with Honda to create leather goods and biker gear in 1997. With the success and attention garnered by his previous collections and collaboration with Honda, Shinichiro opened another store in Japan in 1998. Although his flagship stores remained in Japan, Shinichiro continued to produce more lines of his clothing in Paris. Today, he does little work as a designer, still working with Honda on his biking gear, but his overall career has been grand and exciting, even producing a movie titled, “0cm4”. In my opinion, this film artistically captures his work as a whole and follows a colorblind man who is trying to figure out if the world that he knows is real or not.
Design:
In this portion I will be going over the five collections that I liked the most and thought they are the pillars to his design, and his philosophy as a designer.
Shinichiro’s biggest element in his clothing is color, especially red, black, white, blue and gold. With these colors, Shinichiro portrays themes such as isolation, anxiety, freedom, death, sadness, among a sleuth of others. Designs ranging from whole sheets of fabric that is molded into a garment, to blockish patterns that are completely different colors, often ugly, and raw, to big bubbles that look like a butterfly about to breach its cocoon. Shinichiro’s work is usually always new, with the last season never being the same as the present. Now, he mainly creates biker gear with every so often an accessory drop as well.
FW97
With Fall-Winter 96-97 being his first collection in Tokyo, it was tame. At first, to me, he is just a regular designer trying to find his footing on what he really wants to portray in clothing. With the color scheme that is very different from what he later uses, this is the first full collection Shinichiro creates. With clothes that are sewn together in block like patterns, with casual suits, to full body coats. To me, these clothes are not that cohesive, I do not really see a goal that Shinichiro has set out to accomplish here, I see it more as a wide range of clothes that his customers would be glad to purchase. To me this collection is just the beginning to what Shinichiro has in store for the world later.
Via archivings.net
SS98
Now there are not many photos I can find of this collection, but I wish there was at least video coverage of this show. Which is weird to me because even brands such as 20471120, Lad Musician, and Beauty:Beast had video coverage, but maybe they were more popular than Shinichiro. Photos from archvings.net and moreorlessmag.com
This collection is my favorite collection that Shinichiro has made behind fw99. This collection is the beginning, in my opinion, of his golden age of design. There are three parts of this collection to me. Birth, growth, and maturity. Going in order, Shinichiro uses themes to relay his thoughts directly to the viewer. First is birth. With garments consisting of closed off arm holes that are connected back into the garment, to tailored garments with what appears to be a nebula on them (Looks like the Rosette nebula but I might be mistaken,) signifying death, but a new beginning, a beginning of beauty, but that beauty slowly fades out, and it is connected back to the human form in the form of a baby, a baby with wet hair when born, a baby with constraints, a baby that has no say in its life, the only thing a baby can do is breath, eat, drink, and shit. There are other thoughts about this collection such as from akaibu which is, “The Spring/Summer 1998 collection is one of Shinichiro Arakawa's most prominent collections. Displaying a stunning array of layering techniques, disheveled hair styles & outfits taking inspiration from university students/salarymen in the 90s. As the collection saw various garments which were asymmetrical & layered in a messy manner. Simulating a student that just got out of a fight. As the collection was inspired partly by the japanese student uprising in 1968-1969 as students organized a protest against unpaid internships at the university of tokyo. Along with Shinichiro Arakawa witnessing a school fight later in his years. It inspired him to dedicate a couple collections.” - https://akaibu.co/products/shinichiro-arakawa-ss-98-asymmetrical-wool-knit
This is not how I perceive it though, but I can also see what Akaibu means. There are always other ways to interpret things, keep that in mind.
Via archivings.net
With my second point, growth, these looks are what I mean. With now the uniform coming into full what it is meant to be, with arm holes, and more range in the movement of the body, but now, there is a webbing around the body. This gave me the thought of a larva that is about to burst out of a cocoon and start their life journey. With parallels to birth from the wet hair, and the webbing being constraints that the youth have with parents, and authority telling them what they can and cannot do. To me, it signifies that now the collection is growing, and becoming more mature as time goes on.
via archivings.net
Coming to my final point, maturity. Maturity in this collection is when the webbing is gone, and there is free body movement among the model, signifying that the growth is gone, and now the body is free. With all of these constraints the wearer can do whatever they please, now they are of age, and are free. Although they are free, they also hold the past still dear to them, with the same clothes as before. Just as how everyone has a subconscious from when they grew up, which is along with them the whole time they are alive.
via wintercorrybriea on tumblr and archivings.net
via moreorlessmag.com all garments from ss98
AW98
This collection as you can see is just blobs. Blobs that have holes, and have distinctive patterns, and colors. This work is closely related to his movie 0cm4. (My review is at the end of this article) But this collection implements the usage of restraint again. As well as this time more patterns, with some in the form of Ishihara plates, plates that are used to judge colorblindness. This also relates to 0cm4 as well. With color now being a big part of Shinichiro's design, it is no wonder why he chose the design elements of 0cm4 the way he chose. As well as the implementation of the Ishihara plates.
ia archivings.net
via archivestacks on instagram
FW99
Finally, the best work in my opinion of Shinichiro’s work. FW99. This work by far is the most technically advanced, and best representation of his work. Even though this style is not new for the time. Another Japanese designer did this first, Issey Miyake (RIP) and Dai Fugiwara in 1997. This was the first time someone has made the version of the form. Shinichiro took Issey’s APOC even further, creating smaller designs for just shirts, or dresses, literally embedding the garment into the fabric, that when worn is also beautifully draped along the body.
In colors like black, red, white, and blue. With seamless transitions from fabric to the actual garment, these clothes look like they're emerging from liquid or camouflaged in the fabric itself. If I saw this in person I would be blown away by the technical skill that is required to create these pieces, especially the knitwear ones. Shinichiro defines this collection as clothes seen as everyday objects in the form of pictures, which is why the clothes are pinned on a wall and square, like a frame. All in all, I believe that this collection is the best work that Shinichiro has ever put out revealing the hardest technique that he has used so far.
via define-us.blogspot
via shift.jp.org
via archivings.net
The last pillar is the longtime ongoing collaboration with Honda Bikes. Starting in 1997, this collaboration is the only fashion venture that Shinichiro has as of right now. This collaboration is what has made Shinichiro the most money in his time as a designer. These collaborations are what makes him known in the Japanese biking community, but as of worldwide, Shinichiro is still not a name everyone knows. Shinichiro is also fine with the fact that he does not make fashion anymore, just biker gear. Personally, I think that what he has done as a fashion designer is more than enough, and making biker gear now is one of the best ways to keep your passion alive, while mixing it with another passion, while at the same time make money.
0cm4
Shinichiro’s movie 0cm4. Yes, Shinichiro has also directed and produced a movie. He has stated that if he were to ever pursue another form of artistic creativity, it would be filmmaking. If you watch this short film, it ties together every significant aspect of Shinichiro’s creative career. With his work with color, cinematography, costume design, and motifs, it all plays into the world that Arakawa has created for his audience.
“0cm4 is the philosophical story of a color-blind man called Maeda who decides to have an operation to cure his vision. The problem is that he is not quite sure if he wants to do it, as he thinks that everybody else in the world sees things differently. He’s afraid that after the operation, his world is not going to be the same.” - synopsis from rarefilmm.com.
Review I wrote: I found this Film looking into Shinichiro Arakawa (one of the directors of this movie). His work with fashion is very similar to the aspects shown in this movie. This film portrays itself as a very ambiguous movie about color but is actually very representative of Shinichiro’s selection of the color red in his designs, particularly in Maeda’s suit, which is the protagonist in the film. Along with Maeda’s suit, the Ishihara plates are also pulled from Shinichiro’s designs. There are more elements involved in this film such as Maeda always purchasing new cameras to see if one will truly show him what the world is like. I think this film serves as a “what if?” question, showing what Shinichiro’s life would’ve been like if he was colorblind, stopping him from ever pursuing fashion as a career. During the film, Maeda also battles with the concept of what is best for him, probably drawing some parallels from Shinichiro’s actual life, enrolling in university as a business student rather than a fashion student. This choice was most likely heavily influenced from his parents wanting for him to have a stable career. Another aspect that jumped out to me is the feeling of being alone, as well as the isolating emotions of depression and anxiety. With Maeda’s truncated answers, dismissing his friends and family, he is shown to be alone for about 80% of the movie consisting of many scenes of frustration, rage, and seclusion. These feelings are also shown when Maeda is banging on his door trying to get out of the room, he locked himself in, most likely battling with the idea to pursue a medical procedure in order to fix his colorblindness. There is a lot of tension between the philosophies of idealism and conformism in his life, representing his internal conflict with staying unique to himself or to submit to societal standards. In the end, Maeda decides to get the procedure, but what comes after is a mystery.
Arakawa’s philosophies focus on authenticity and self-actualization, it is no wonder Arakawa implemented the artistic elements that are included in this film, with the intention to make you think about the abstractions of the world and color.
Watch via rarefilmm.com
Some clothing that has/is being sold:
Official Website: http://s-arakawa2.shop-pro.jp/
Final thoughts:
Shinichiro Arakawa is a designer that if you are into Harajuku fashion you should know about. With designs that are colorful, and playful while also having deeper motifs show the true levels of his work. Shinichiro is a true creative. Although he is now working with more biker gear, that is okay to me. He has served his time as a designer, and as a creative, that him having his best life making biker jackets, and cute leather cat bags is fine by me. Although I would love to see these collections firsthand in a museum or somewhere else, I think that that will most likely never happen due to the fact that not many people know about him. My favorite collection is aw99, but I think the best aesthetically is ss98. Also, I usually don't like designers that have a lot of colors in their designs, but I wanted to cover someone that I would usually never even bat my eye towards to get out of my comfort zone, and I am glad that I did such. Now, I feel like I am more intact with Japanese Harajuku fashion and what influence it has on the market today.
Written by: Tyler Thum
Edited by: Jeff Pak Sources:
http://www.shift.jp.org/en/archives/1999/09/shinichiro_arakawa.html https://define-us.blogspot.com/2011/04/shinichiro-arakawa.html
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