Swish swish… Do you hear that? It’s the sound of ANREALAGE taking the stage with their SS25 collection this Paris Fashion Week. Pastel colors, bulbous silhouettes, and of course the swishing sounds of windbreaker material that we’ve come to know and love can be seen throughout this collection. Windbreakers have made their mark on fashion week in years past, with Balenciaga in 2022 and Jasper Conran in 2018 being some of the most recent instances. ANREALAGE takes that precedent and brings a fresh take on what nylon and polyester have to offer with their WIND collection.
The WIND collection takes shape with the use of the malleable windbreaker material, by creating weird and whimsical creatures. All of the garments within this collection are made up of this material, produced in sweet pastels and funky patterns, that makes WIND nothing short of interesting. The models walk the floor in floppy pieces that range from dresses to jumpsuits, to jackets, but with a push of the button, a fan inside of the garments allows the pieces to blossom and inflate. From flacid, to erect, the once floppy silhouettes are now round and protruding. The silhouettes resemble butterflies, flowers, pinecones, and other fun organic shapes. Only adding to the unconventionalism of the collection.
When it comes to makeup, the models are painted with iridescents, chromes, and glitters across their nose bridge. It’s simple yet magical. The makeup in combination with the head pieces make the models into creatures. The head pieces are made up of these weird domes and flowing shapes that give off antennas. The attention to detail sells the oddity of this collection and makes it visually impactful. Refining what could have been a collection that fades quickly from memory.
To build the bridge between sustainable technology and high fashion, WIND was made in collaboration between Anrealage and KUCHOFUKU, a Japanese company specializing in making utilitarian garments. When making the garments inflate, the duo constructed them with the small fans in mind so that they could bring their vision to light. The miniature fans don’t weigh down the pieces, allowing them to keep their airy and bouncy appearance. Humid summers and the lasting impact of visual kei in Japan has fostered the market for WIND to be formulated with KUCHOFUKU’s help. To print the patterns, a water-free inkjet printer was used in the production process, to reduce the brand’s footprint.
While this collection is not something that I would ever wear, I do find it visually stimulating. It stood out amongst the other collections I saw this Paris fashion week, and piqued my interest long enough for me to write this. My favorite look from WIND was this all white dress that inflated to have rounded spikes protruding from it, paired with white antennas. With the elements all together, the model looks like this magical lotus mantis hybrid. It was so fantastical and fun, and it wasn’t something I really thought of being capable of during fashion week. This look was the first look I saw from the collection and after my deep dive it still holds that spot in my heart.
ANREALAGE has found their way in this Paris Fashion week with the oddity and unconventionalism of WIND. I think this show has the potential to bring attention to their previous collections and popularize the brand to a global audience. As technology develops, this type of innovativeness and creativity will find its home in the world of high fashion. In the future of fashion week, I hope that they will continue to push forward and set precedent for other Asian brands to take their spot in the lineup.
Words by Raeh Eichelberg
Graphics by Clayton Creech
Graphic Assist by Eve Friday