Mood board: Watanabe’s clothes have no pomp, no obvious political agenda, and (for this season) no bold logos. He delivers a wardrobe of practicality and technical know-how. For S/S 2019, it consists of multi-pocketed gilets, cargo pants and light windbreakers – the functionality of the garments are pulled into focus. Pockets are exaggerated just so and small bags engineered to fit around the body. Military uniforms are always at the core of his men’s collections. Contemporary menswear does tend to be a battlefield. Radicals such as Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela favoured utilitarian, army detailing at the height of the 1990s – their standardised cuts and efficiency the antidote to the previous, flashier decade. As streetwear, couture detailing and activewear collide, the menswear shows are an amalgam of recalibrated classics.
Finishing touches: At the top of the catwalk, Watanabe had installed a giant green army tent – even the invitation was in a warm olive green. Military drums and Barry Gray’s score for Thunderbirds spoke of childhood innocence and obsessing over heroes. Military clothes are archetypal – they have a sober pragmatism. Largely un-gendered, unremarkable too, they are the opposite of peacocking. Dries Van Noten uses army fatigues and coveralls as a canvas for jazzy, optic prints from the 1970s; Andrea Rosso – the designer behind MYAR – repurposes surplus garments giving them new life. Watanabe translates these codes into an urban context with a flourish of whimsy. Take the repeat apple print by London-based illustrator Tracey English used on shirting and t-shirts.
Team work: New for S/S 2019 is a collaboration with Ark Air – the RTW arm of Arktis, an English company who have made military uniforms since 1985. Founded by two ex-Royal Marines, the Devon-based factory provides camouflage garments and military-grade smocks superior to standard-issue uniforms. Vests, field jackets and shorts in pinstripe and classic windowpane check become a new technical suit. Classic stripe shirts are treated like sports jackets. Pieces made with Levi’s, Heinrich Dinkelacker, New Balance and Trickers also appear, as do authentic sailor hats made in French Brittany by Béton Ciré.§
Junya Watanabe Man S/S 2019. Courtesy of Comme des Garçons
Junya Watanabe Man S/S 2019. Courtesy of Comme des Garçons
Junya Watanabe Man S/S 2019. Courtesy of Comme des Garçons
Junya Watanabe Man S/S 2019. Courtesy of Comme des Garçons
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Paul McCartney’s backstage photographs of Beatlemania, formerly presumed lost, will go on show in LondonThe Gagosian exhibition ‘Rearview Mirror: Liverpool–London–Paris’ also offers the chance to acquire rare and signed photographs from McCartney’s archive
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Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
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This spa in the Riviera Maya stays open until midnight. Here’s what happens after darkRosewood Mayakoba’s Akbal Series proposes a new kind of night out
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Art meets perfume in cross-disciplinary fragrance series Nez 1+1Talents from film and fragrance come together to create Ansongo, the latest scent resulting from a creative matchmaking project by perfume revue Nez
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Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
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The collections you might have missed this S/S 2026 menswear seasonBetween the headliners in Paris, Milan and Florence, a few off-schedule displays are deserving of honourable mention – from Martine Rose’s sexually-charged portrait of Kensington Market to Sander Lak’s appointment-only namesake debut
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‘They gave me carte blanche to do what I want’: Paul Kooiker photographs the students of Gerrit Rietveld Academie for Acne StudiosHeralding the launch of a new permanent gallery from fashion label Acne Studios, the celebrated Dutch photographer’s new body of work praises the bravery of ‘people who choose to go to an art school at a time like this’
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‘I’m surprised that I got this far’: Rick Owens on his bombastic Paris retrospective, ‘Temple of Love’The Dark Prince of Fashion sits down with Wallpaper* to discuss legacy, love, and growing old in Paris as a display at the Palais Galliera tells the story of his subversive career
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The standout shows of Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: Hermès to Craig GreenWallpaper* picks the very best of Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026, from Véronique Nichanian’s portrait of summer in the city for Hermès to Craig Green’s return to the Paris runway
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Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: live updates from the Wallpaper* teamFrom 24-29 June, Paris Fashion Week Men’s arrives in the French capital. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
