What is the difference between a gimmick and a good idea? One frowns and the other laughs.
On that metric, the enchanting and miraculous runway show by Japanese label Anrealage, held in Paris on Tuesday afternoon, was a very good idea.
After seeing clothes already, they looked like something from “Minecraft”, and after witnessing platform shoes shaped like a slip-on cyber truck, the only appropriate response was a smile when the label's block-like design came to life like an arcade game.
As designer Morinaga Kuniko explained after the show, these clothes were produced from threads woven with Teen Sea's “balls.” Imagine a Time Square sign packaged in a swinging bag dress. Each design has a battery pack and sensors that allow you to operate the display behind the scenes. (This material is Anrealage's own unique product and was developed by Mplusplus, a Japanese technology design studio.)
The result was like “Tron” intersecting “Joseph and the incredible Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Three flickering dresses reminded me of the lights of a skyscraper in the hands of a super active toddler. The pair of models marched side by side, with tartan mocks squealing back and forth alongside each other in colour, forming a new kaleidoscopic tartan as they advanced.
For the finale, the models gather together, and Frock quietly statically removes the TV on Fritz and settles into a stained glass motif.
The collection was inspired by a very old-fashioned technology, behind the scenes, through a translator. This is a double-sided advertising placard used by “sandwiches” for businesses.
“Before the design is constantly being modified, but now we can move the design,” Moringa said.
Here was a fashion show that seemed to fully embrace the age that endured our skill. At the very least, it was a reminder of how static fashion is. Almost every other label on display at Paris Fashion Week continues to use the same wool and cotton that have been in circulation for centuries.
It's not Mr. Moringa. He is the fashion Carl Sagan, leaning towards space to question how far a man can take his dress. His previous exploits include clothing that bulges into the runway and a tablalasa ensemble that is patterned when exposed to UV rays. We are missing out on the opportunity that the Olympic team tapped on Mr. Moringa to cast a spell on the opening kit of the Paris Games.
“Fashion never stops, it's always moving and changing,” Moringa said, summarizing his spirit.
He's heading for the future. Even if there aren't many people out there who seem willing to join him. still.
As we stepped into the streets of Paris, it was tough to imagine someone wearing a digital “starry night” dress walking by me. Our clothes didn't have an LCD screen yet. What we were wearing was a smirk. And that may have been Mr. Moringa's intentions for a long time.
