The new HUNTING WORLD, under the creative direction of White Mountaineering's Yosuke Aizawa, held its first runway collection show on June 14th as a special event at Pitti Uomo 92 in Florence, Italy. The brand's Spring/Summer 2018 collection, held at the former Leopolda Station—the perfect venue for the brand's travel-themed show—opened with a projection mapping evocative of a train journey. The first look featured a jacket in the brand's green and yellow corporate colors, a T-shirt featuring a camouflaged elephant logo, and green abstract-print shorts and moccasins, creating a light and airy look. The designer carried a vintage trunk, a testament to the brand's 50-year history. A vibrant yellow hooded coat, a green polo shirt, and navy cargo pants, and a khaki flight jacket paired with striped shorts with front pockets—a style that skillfully incorporated athleisure into urban settings—continued. The striped fabric of the men's shorts is paired with the women's relaxed, long woven pants, while Liberty flower and digital patterns are used on shirts, blouses, long shirts, and jackets, freely blending between men's and women's items. While suede jackets, denim, and summer knitwear with stripes and Nordic patterns are also genderless, women's items stand out throughout, such as linen dresses, denim skirts, and vanity bags. It's clear that the outerwear presented this time is a collection built around coordinating with the carryall bag, a hallmark of Hunting World's DNA. Made from a lightweight "Battue Cloth" nylon oxford base fabric with a polyurethane coating and urethane foam, this bag was recognized for its functionality in hunting and fishing scenes, and took the Japanese market by storm in the early 1980s. It was also a rare bag at the time to be accepted in business settings.

The bag lineup also features a signature khaki color with variations in the leather, such as red and orange, and while maintaining a basic shape, the new line has expanded in both materials and design for both men and women.

This clever and refreshing collection is typical of Aizawa Yosuke, who has collaborated with many international brands, including Moncler, Barbour, and adidas Originals, and is well-received in the Western market. Perhaps due to the user-first development perspective, it felt a little too packed, but the first chapter of Hunting World's rebranding got off to a smooth start in Florence.

Text: Tatsuya Noda