Fall 2009: Hunters in pinstripes at Junya Watanabe
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The words ‘NO HUNTING, NO FISHING, NO FIREARMS without written permission’ above the photo of a majestic elk adorned the invitation to the Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man show, and the Fall 2009 collection trained its sights on the rod & gun crowd for inspiration.
The label is known for its collaborations with iconic American and British brands, including Baracuta, Levi’s, Brooks Brothers and Tricker’s. This season the label tossed Portland, Ore.’s Pendleton Woolen Mills buffalo plaid checks into the mix, metaphorically -- and in some cases literally -- turning the brands inside out. Sure, it’s a theme that Watanabe explored last season, but a gray pinstripe suit that reverses into a hunting jacket complete with ammunition pockets and a quilted recoil shoulder pad is more than a money- and space-saving ‘twofer.’ Watching how quickly a poacher in pinstripes can go from hedge fund to hunter makes you realize how little actually separates the two types of blood sport.
In addition to the double-duty suits, there were slimmed-down, high-water camouflage trousers, padded pinstripe jackets, diamond-pattern quilting on the front of jean legs and pops of Pendleton buffalo plaid on collar linings and on the back yoke inside (or outside!) of insulated jackets.
The cut (not to mention cost) of the pieces make it highly unlikely anything from this collection will darken the doorstep of rural America’s deer camps, but for that fashion-forward city dweller looking forward to ditching work for an afternoon at the Los Angeles Gun Club (you know who you are), it’s hard to think of a better place to start.
-Adam Tschorn
Garçons Man Fall 2009 men’s runway show, Jan. 23, 2009. By Jonas Gustavsson.