Onitsuka Tiger Autumn Winter 2022 Collection コンセプトはShadow(陰影)
Source: AUTUMN WINTER 2022 | Onitsuka Tiger Japan
The layered, deconstructed utility look remains an aspect of fashion for brands trying to capture the essence of Japanese street culture. It would seem that the trend of Gorpcore would be fading, but this would imply that the Japanese care about trends. In streetwear, fashion and sneaker culture, the Japanese tend to be ahead of movements and their style becomes sticky. At any point people can revert to “trends” without a side eye or suspect look. Fashion is an individual expression from a culture that values the artistic and creative nature of making the style a vital from of conveying emotion. The irony that Onitsuka delivered a greyscale version of the layered utilitarian look initially feels sans emotion, but the subtle graphics and lines in this collection become colors behind closed eyelids.
The campaign visual for the AW22 collection is created based on the concept of “Shadow”, using monotone black and white colors. The supple movement and the elegant posing of the models, which almost seem like they are dancing, were inspired by pictures of designers who colored the Japanese fashion scenes in the eighties. Through this campaign visual, with the elation expressed by the models who almost look like they are performing in a theater, Onitsuka Tiger pays tribute to the eighties when the Japanese aesthetic of “purity and austerity” blasted Western aesthetics. This collection is all about those years delivered with an active and contemporary take. Layering, typical of Japanese ceremonial dress, is pivotal in conceiving a style that expresses an original and genderless collection.