Malamute Fall 2019 RTW – Tokyo Fashion Week

(Images from Vogue.com and wwd.com the public domain. All rights. Used in promotion of the designer.)

The Japanese fashion designer Mari Odaka has stated in her show notes that her Fall 2019 collection is in reflection to what is occurring in Tokyo in preparation for the 2020 Olympics, Odaka's “anxiety...” that she could not express in “...words” about her concern of Tokyo being remodeled as a temporary aspect, established buildings destroyed and then created to house the athletes and officials.  Japan, of all the other countries maintaining a similar policy, is stuck in monetary expansion, the Japanese Central bank and Government are continually feeding money supply.  While the corrupt line their pockets, not for a future investment – which is a bought and sold fallacy as there is no future.  So, what may be left are the ghost towns, empty buildings or bridges that go nowhere. 

This where the artist, designer can become the most significant within its revisionary of what is forced upon the public, through these hyper-capitalistic crony landscapes.  Is to set upon it with art, challenging the mundane and if needed reworking it again under dissidence. Art will always offer the rebelling, that is both subtle and blunt. 

Odaka's Fall 2019 collection portrays her ability to define some beautifully clean lines, whilst layering the collection over draped arrays.  She has focused mostly on free flowing pieces, with an intermix of heavy set styles, reminding me of urban contemporary Fall/Winter Tokyo street looks.  Overall the collection as set pieces, may evoke a clunky ensemble, unless the buyer has in mind to mix and match styles – to which Odaka's collection resonates.  The color palette is of a declarative selection of toned down pastel colors, with inserts of red. 

Even if there is no future, we can heal the now.