Paris Fashion Week FW12: The Japanese

Comme des Garçons presented a show made for paper doll, or perhaps the show was best suited to flat Teletubbies who wore paper doll clothes. While there were interesting shapes and some fun geometry, mostly the show focused on the flat and stuck to cliches like leopard print and sequins. I guess it was a commentary on the state of fashion.
Issey Miyake introduced new fabric technology and innovations, which are a little hard to follow in an online slideshow. I most enjoyed the fun tights.
Junya Watanabe put punk rock styling on a collection that bounced between masculine and feminine. Classic menswear in restyled shaped mashed up against prairie dresses that eventually turned very dark and interesting.
Tsumori Chisato never takes the typical approach. When most designers go for a skiing inspiration, they focus on the clothing, but Chisato took inspiration from the entire ski vacation with gondolas, scenery and slopes playfully appearing in prints with a mix of colors, knits and shapes.
Yohji Yamamoto mixed a lot of references, but his game of peek-a-boo seemed to be the unifying theme. The models seemed mostly shrouded in draped jersey and oversized knits, but glimpses of their corsets and tassels revealed a surprising risque side.

Image source: style.com