Maison Kitsuné designers Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki called on Japanimation for their fall 2016 “Love Rises” men’s collection, interpreting it in their own singular, irreverent way. Referencing Hayao Miyazaki’s animated movie “The Wind Rises,” they mixed militaria with kawai, emblazoning World War II fighter planes, images of Mount Fuji and a crimson rising sun across much of the collection via print, jacquard and embroidered motifs. A sky-blue sweater was criss-crossed with plane motifs, a camouflage jacket pierced by the snow-capped mountains. These were juxtaposed with simpler items like a classic marinière with an embroidered logo or a patchwork kimono jacket.
The duo’s appeal stands in their ability to stop just short of kitsch by contrasting their motifs with the use of classic, simple cuts and high-quality fabrics, an exercise at which they once again succeeded.
