"It feels like I'm working with both my right and left brain," said designer Yosuke Aizawa, smiling backstage after finishing a day of work in Florence. The following week, he will be presenting his brand White Mountaineering's collection in Paris. The adidas Originals by White Mountaineering 16-17 Autumn/Winter collection was unveiled on January 14th as a special guest brand event at the 89th Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence. Entering the venue, housed in Leopolda Station, a renovated old train station, visitors were guided by a row of construction lights reminiscent of the peaks leading up to the mountain, and at the back of the venue, the audience seating was arranged around a square space. Three straight tube lights were arranged in a triangular shape on the ceiling, creating a giant triangular lighting effect across the entire stage. The audience was astonished by the installation, which combined digital programming and human movement; after a model walked on stage and remained in place, the tube lights rose and fell while glowing.

The collection featured a black base and sporty items featuring Adidas' three stripes, creating a modern fusion of street fashion, a style that Tokyo has been leading the way in. Details such as patch pockets, pocket flaps, and the use of different materials, as well as suggestions for layering basic items and balancing bottoms and tops, all echo the new urban sportswear market that is gaining popularity along with the term "athleisure." "This time, we deliberately refrained from using graphic pattern motifs such as jacquard, which is White Mountaineering's specialty. By incorporating into everyday life the functional materials that only a sportswear manufacturer can develop, along with Adidas' vast archives, we pursued the inherent coolness of fashion. In today's men's fashion, it's important to mix mode, craftsmanship, streetwear, and sports. I wanted the audience to feel that," said Aizawa. The show's finale featured a pyramidal mountain-like formation created by the ceiling's giant triangular straight tube lights, symbolizing the collaboration between the two brands. The show was directed by a team from Japan, primarily consisting of Aizawa's university friends, who have worked on White Mountaineering's music and other projects. Aizawa presented a show at Pitti Uomo as a guest designer in 2013. His collaboration with Barbour was also presented at the same exhibition, earning him acclaim at Pitti Uomo as a representative men's designer of the new generation. This time, his comprehensive concept work contributed to the collection, further enhancing his reputation as an artist.

Text: Tatsuya Noda