For what is now the third time, eYe Junya Watanabe MAN is to collaborate with BerBerJin on a capsule of left-field denim jackets and pants.
The Comme des Garçons-backed fashion label and the Harajuku, Tokyo-based secondhand boutique took to range of Levi’s pieces and gave them a twisted, innovative makeover.
But everything is not as it seems…
Using new materials as its canvas, the project sees digitally replicated design elements from past Levi’s silhouettes printed onto garments, creating a trompe-l’œuil-style illusion of texture, patina, and fabric distress, otherwise only known to actual lived-in clothes.
Junya Watanabe’s always had a taste for this type of trickery, being protégé to the pioneering avant-garde desginer Rei Kawakubo’s and all. His fashions are as inspired by utilitarianism as they are by the outlandish and surreal.
As for BerBerJin’s part in the rollout, the shop is known for its unrivaled curation of vintage American denim, military, and workwear. So, a real no-brainer partner to tap for this sort of undertaking.
Available at Junya Watanabe MAN stores and other select locations from April 18, the joint BerBerJin Levi’s line is both compelling and confusing, in the best way, merging and expanding on Japan and the U.S.’s shared appreciation for high-caliber jeans.
