Motocross inspires Junya Watanabe MAN and Reigning Champ’s race-ready new collaboration
Junya Watanabe MAN and Canadian athletic-wear label Reigning Champ have teamed up on limited-edition pieces first shown at the Japanese designer’s show in Paris last January

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Recent years have seen Japanese designer Junya Watanabe become one of fashion’s most prolific collaborators. For his A/W 2023 menswear collection alone, he worked with 18 brands – among them Oakley, Carhartt, Brooks Brothers, Palace and North Face – on pieces interspersed throughout a collection inspired by the work of Berlin-based label Innerraum, which creates futuristic accessories referencing the protective elements of motorsports gear. The collection was shown in Paris in January 2023.
This month, one such collaboration – with Vancouver-based athletic-wear label Reigning Champ – arrives in stores, its designs also drawing inspiration from motorsports gear, in this case, motocross, a form of off-road motorbike racing. A prescient inspiration to designers in recent seasons – several brands have created iterations of the signature motocross leather jacket – the distinct uniforms are recognisable for their bold, logo-heavy designs featuring colourful elements and motifs.
Full speed: Junya Watanabe MAN x Reigning Champ A/W 2023
In the concise, limited-edition collaboration, Watanabe and Reigning Champion choose to eschew such colour for a series of all-black pieces, with motocross instead referenced in biker jacket-inspired quilted sleeves and shoulder pads on a round-neck cotton sweater (a version of Reigning Champion’s signature midweight terry sweatshirt). A pair of matching sweatpants, meanwhile, come with a draped drop crotch. Reigning Champ describes Watanabe‘s process as ‘deconstructing’ its most recognisable pieces.
Founded in 2007, Reigning Champ claims to create ‘the finest athletic wear in the world’, with all pieces constructed in Canada. An ongoing collaboration – Watanabe has reinterpreted Reigning Champ’s collections for several seasons – this latest collection follows a S/S 2023 collaboration that featured sweatpants adorned with the works of American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
Junya Watanabe MAN x Reigning Champ A/W 2023 is available now from Reigning Champ’s website and selected retailers.
reigningchamp.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*. Having previously held roles at 10, 10 Men and AnOther magazines, he joined the team in 2022. His work has a particular focus on the moments where fashion and style intersect with other creative disciplines – among them art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and profiling the industry’s leading figures and brands.
-
Ferragamo’s new Renaissance
The Ferragamo F/W 2023 campaign touches base with the Italian Renaissance, celebrating innovation, timeless beauty, and a new handbag
By Simon Mills Published
-
Turner Prize 2023 exhibition unwrapped
The Turner Prize 2023 exhibition has opened inside the colourful Towner Eastbourne; delve into the work of the four nominees
By Malaika Byng Published
-
Look inside Sixth&Blanco, Herzog & de Meuron’s first project in Texas
Step inside Sixth&Blanco by Herzog & de Meuron, as the Swiss studio reveals interior images of its first ever Texas design, a forward-thinking, sustainable and mixed-use scheme
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Baracuta teams up with Junya Watanabe to reimagine a design classic
The seminal Japanese designer reimagines Baracuta’s iconic G9 Harrington jacket to create a true fashion collectable
By Jack Moss Published
-
Junya Watanabe S/S 2015
By Dan Thawley Last updated