Designer Evolution : Junya Watanabe

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Junya Watanabe is a Japanese fashion designer who attended Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. In 1984 he graduated and moved onto an internship at Comme des Garçons. By 1987 he was already designing for the Homme line at Comme des Garçons. Finally in 1993 he earned his own line titled ‘Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garçons’ and began showing his collections at paris fashion week. Watanabe was mentored by fashion great and head of Comme des Garçons Rei Kawakubo. They are both known for their creativity and distinctive looks. He is often considered a “techno couture” designer, someone who creates unusually structured clothing out of modern, technical materials.

Below is a piece from his Fall/Winter 16 collection. It is a solar powered jacket that is able to charge your phone. This jacket retailed for around $2,000.

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Solar Panels

Workwear has also always been a staple for Junya. For his Fall/Winter 2012 show the theme was the industrial revolution. On the top is a workwear ad for Lee’s in the 1940s. The bottom pictures is looks from his 2012 runway show. He used dark colors and wanted the general aesthetic to be dirty and unpolished. This was Junya’s idea of “re-worked workwear”.

Lee’s workwear ad
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In 2002 Watanabe had his debut mens show where he unveiled his levis collaboration. When talking about the jeans he said “I wanted to put in the collection something that was the real thing”. More than just the emotional aspects of the poem he is talking about the pants.

S/S 02
S/S 02

Junya’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection was inspired by Japanese peasant clothing. This collection had lots of denims and indigos, as well as boro patchwork on almost all of the garments. Boro is a Japanese textiles that has been mined or patched together. A very common textile used in the lower classes for warmth.

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Boro patchwork kimono

In Watanabe’s Fall/Winter 2019 show was not much different from his previous. You saw the staples from him such as tweed, denim, biker leather, parkas, ’50s knits, corduroy, workwear, regular shirts. The difference in this show was it was geared toward an older generation. This is confirmed by Watanabe himself when he said “older men possess stronger personalities and are cooler than the younger generations.” Instead of doing what every high fashion brand is doing right now and gearing toward the youth, Watanabe is going with what he finds interesting as he himself ages. This collection featured lots of denim,coats,blazers and workwear get up. Something you would most likely find in all of his menswear collections. His idea of workwear is not new, he just finds a way to improve it each collection. Below are pictures from his Fall/Winter 2019 show.   

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F/W 19
F/W 19

The Fall/Winter 2013 show was another one that was dominated with denim, blazers and coats. This time he worked with a darker pallet using lots of blacks, greys and navys. Also instead of the patchwork being on the jeans, it was all done the blazers, parkas and jackets. Junya’s idea of “re-worked workwear” was still on show for this collection.  

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F/W 13

For his Fall/Winter 2017 collection he showed his collaborative side. This season provide pieces from Levi’s, Carhartt, Vans, Barbour, Kangol, and Gloverall. This collection like in the past had lots of blazers, denim, parkas and jackets. What made this collection stand out was his use of color. He had his traditional blacks, navys, grays and browns but also had lots of bright colors. He had bright red jackets and pants, blue pants and pops of orange in a lot of pieces.

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F/W 17

I do not think much has changed Junya design approach over the years. Most of his collections feature his idea of “re-worked workwear”. What is happening around him does not seem to affect him much. He works with and creates garments he think are unique and pretty rather then what the public thinks. Junya does not go after trends, he would rather create than follow. Workwear will continue to evolve with Junya in the front. 

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Published by Dan clune

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One thought on “Designer Evolution : Junya Watanabe”

  1. Junya Watanabe stands as a visionary who blends engineering precision with artistic deconstruction—bridging avant-garde fashion, practicality, and cultural sensibility.

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