Photography Marie-Amélie TonduFashionShowJunya Watanabe Man SS15The elusive designer creates a denim-led collection, referencing and reworking Japanese traditionShareLink copied ✔️June 27, 2014FashionShowTextIsabella BurleyPhotographyMarie-Amélie TonduJunya Watanabe Man SS15 Initial reaction: A reimagining of Japanese workwear through patchwork denim, bold graphic characters and batik prints. How it was worn: With black, slicked back hairpieces creating a look somewhere between sumo wrestler and Manga classic Astro Boy. Models walked in square-toed leather Zōri, and eyebrows were a theatrical dark black, recalling the make-up of Kabuki – a traditional art form that combines dance and drama. Myth and mystery: Junya Watanabe is one of fashion’s most elusive myth makers, and there is always a great deal of mystery surrounding his references. SS15’s soundtrack – the laboured grunts of sumo wrestlers rehearsing, which turned into jazz – provided something of a clue, indicating an inspiration found in the discipline and ritual of both the sport and Japanese culture at large. Last season, Watanabe mixed punk plaids with English heritage. See it below: Junya Watanabe Man AW14Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREFrom Lana to Gaga: August Barron curate their ultimate music video nightInside the world of August Barron, fashion’s disruptive design duo Jean Paul GaultierJean Paul Gaultier’s iconic Le Male is the gift that keeps on givingIn pictures: Shalom Harlow’s most iconic catwalk momentsSilver Arrows: Fusing fashion with film noirSo you want to get your hands on Leigh Bowery’s merkin?‘Westwood and Kawakubo are provocateurs’: Inside their powerful new exhibitA look back on Loli Bahia’s best fashion moments Sunrise Angel: Loli Bahia steps out of the shadowsIrish designer Robyn Lynch is riding the ‘green wave’ her own wayDario Vitale has left Versace after 8 monthsThe 2025 Christmas archetype gift guide