Junya Watanabe brings Giger-esque hardware, collaborations and more with a flavour of ’06 for his F/W23 collection.

The perfect storm.

By Annabel Blue

Set in a stark white gallery space, down a Parisian laneway in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, Junya Watanabe set a sophisticated scene for what I will say was one of the highlight shows of this Paris menswear season. 

Once guests were nestled in their seats, classical music filled the salon and we were promptly acquainted with Watanabe’s latest collaboration with Berlin-based hardware brand Innerraum – a focal collaborator of the collection with whom Watanabe had been working with closely for six months in the lead up to the show.

From the get go, Watanabe’s proclivity to tailoring revealed itself. The collection featured patchwork double-cuffed suits and tawny overcoats, many of which were overlocked and with the Innerraum exoskeletal harnesses and cross-body hardware. These were contrasted by quilted puffers, waterproof hiking jackets and coats in collaboration with brands to the likes of Palace Skateboards, The North Face and Carhartt to name a few.

Notably, Watanabe reacquainted us with new iterations of iconic designs reminiscent of his men’s F/W ‘06 collection. Some looks included his hard edged biker jackets with bulbous zips, coupled with Innenrraum protective hardware over the elbows, knees and scull. Others included tailored coats with combined leather and wool detailing and shoulder pads with thick punk zips to top.

Other looks featured tech accessories such as detachable harnesses, vests, back braces and clasps, many of which were accompanied by hardshell headwear and cross body capsule-like bags which took on Giger-like forms.

Other collaborations included New Balance, Timberland, Oakley, as well as Stepney Workers Club for shoes, and Levi’s, Brooks Brothers, Bates, Mystery Ranch, Haglofs, Karrimor, Nanga, Alpha Industries and Champion.

Watanabe presented a cohesive vision for each garment – with his affinity to black being injected to almost every look, this collection was impressively harmonised. He calls this process ‘monozukuri’– translated meaning roughly “the making of things” – an exhibition of his technical prowess, savoir-faire of Japanese manufacturing practices and his ability to heterogeneously intertwine different areas of design and culture.

Junya Watanabe’s F/W23 offering was a true embodiment of monozukuri, and of course – his deep running punk-spirit was everpresent.

View more of the collection here.

Words by Annabel Blue

Images courtesy of Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons