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When we got wind of N.Hoolywood's New York Fashion Week debut we expected a hip, minimalist presentation of a dozen or so models wearing the sort of heritage-made fetishistic Americana that street-driven contemporary Japanese menswear designers tend toward. Instead, we ended up sitting along the longest runway in history at the romantically-lit, portrait-lined Park Avenue Armory where designer Daisuke Obana presented 22 turn of the century mountain-climbing looks.
The show opened with a series of gusting wind sound effects as models emerged from some sort of glacial backdrop. The models: Weather-clapped, sunburned, mostly heavily-bearded, aging (made up to look aging, at least), walking slowly and stunned, wielding axes and rope and tremendous rucksacks. The clothes: Heavy wool suiting in box checks; knickers paired with stirrup, cableknit legwarmers; nubby boiler suits; collarless shirting paired with There Will Be Blood suspenders; many-pocketed, belted and bulky overcoats; henleys galore, lots of wide wale corduroy and monochromatic micro-Fair Isle. Ansel Adams and California adventurer-inspired—it was sort of imperialistic, a bit stiff and not at all what we were expecting.
· All Fashion Week Coverage [Racked]
· N.Hoolywood [Official Site]