Junya Watanabe's Eco-Dandy at Paris Fashion Week

At Paris Fashion Week SS 2020, Junya Watanabe presented a menswear collection centered on the 'environmentalist dandy' archetype. The show featured utilitarian-inspired garments blended with formal pieces, reflecting the contemporary gentleman's uniform. Accessories included sustainable fabric bags printed with logos hinting at a globalist bon vivant lifestyle. Watanabe, a protégé of Rei Kawakubo, is 58 and presented his 26th show. The collection targets a mature consumer who favors craft beer (Dobri Grasshopper), wines from small vineyards (Noble Fine Liquor), traceable fish from Fiskerikajen market in Copenhagen, and meat from St. John restaurant in London. Intellectual diet includes indie publications like Civilization and Real Review. Preferred museum: Amsterdam Tulip Museum. The article questions whether this is irony or full embrace of the green megatrend, noting Japanese seriousness.