As reported by WWD, Paris-, Tokyo- and London-based SPACE designer Julien David looked to a childhood Japanese animation, or manga, hero, Grendizer, to inspire his fall 2016 collection. With lots of bold and abstracted cartoon prints, and lots of three-dimensional padding and pockets on everyday workwear-style pieces, the collection was half-fantasy, half-hard reality.
Part future, part present tense. “Because we all need superheroes right now,” Julien told WWD.
While the fun, campy (and wryly dark) prints were the stars of the show, Julien’s use of bonded Japanese denim—sometimes patchworked with what feel like protective pads, sometimes shaped and structured into sturdy, super-functional pieces—feels like a mini-movement.
Shown with pleather trench coats and easy trousers, quieter black-and-white jersey prints allow for a slightly more realistic way to take a superhero to work, or out to play.
Then again, if you’re open to how fantasy can save the world—as it seems Julien may be—it makes perfect sense to break free of realism and rock the illusion.
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SHOP: current season Julien David at SPACE
—Laura Cassidy
