On September 23rd, ANREALAGE held its first show at Paris Fashion Week. It presented its SS15 women's collection. The theme was shadow. The venue was the École des Beaux-Arts, a familiar Parisian show venue.
Two models appeared side by side on a white floor. The patchwork jackets and skirts had diagonally cut hems, white at the front and black at the back. This represented the shadows cast by light hitting the garments from one direction, and the white section was removable like an apron. Morinaga said, "Even when the substance disappears, the shadow (the black clothing) continues to exist." Black shadows cast from the pearls and studs on the garments, casting shadows on the shoes.
Midway through the show, a model appeared in a pure white, symmetrical dress. As they walked to the center of the venue, a pale blue light enveloped them. After a while, the girls emerged from the light, their clothes colored gray, their arms' shadows burned right into the garments. The audience erupted in applause.
This is an evolution of the photochromic technology used in the 2013-14 AW collection. The white garments are coated with capsule-shaped dyes that change color in response to UV light. "At the time, we were only able to create pastel colors, but I wanted to present them in Paris in black, the opposite of white, so I spent two years developing it and finally completed it in the middle of last month," Morinaga said, expressing his passion. The clothes change color with the light. The shadows of the clothes and arms layered on top are burned into the white garments, transforming them into something completely different.
The white garments worn by the final models were illuminated with a laser pointer that emitted UV rays, and a patchwork pattern was created through programmed movements. Morinaga, who has favored patchwork and laser cutting techniques since his early days, added cutting-edge technology to the collection, saying, "I was able to connect the culmination of my work to something new." He shed tears after his first Paris show. "The arrival of Japanese designers in the 1980s is now legendary, but the techniques and perspectives of Japanese fashion allow us to create clothes that are different from those in the West. Perhaps showcasing different values, not just "beautiful" or "not beautiful," can bring about change. I want to make a splash in global fashion. In response to the impact of black, I've always wanted to present in Paris with themes of shadow, which symbolizes black, and light." "I want to ensure this show translates into a viable business model," he said. The show's director, Shigetaka Kaneko, hair and makeup artist, Katsuya Kamo, styling by Sota Yamaguchi, and music by Ippei Sugihara, were the members who have supported ANREALAGE to date, all gathered in Paris. The laser light was controlled by Daito Manabe of Rhizomatiks. Morinaga and I are friends, and we spoke about photochromic at ASVOFF TOKYO, a short film festival of fashion and art held last November.
