By Emma Schloeffel
In the stone-clad confines of the Musée de l’Homme, Ryota Iwai–the founder and creative force behind Tokyo-based fashion house Auralee–posed a deceptively simple question: where does joy reside in winter?. Asking the audience to reflect on the small, luminous moments that punctuate the cold. This collection unfolded as a quiet masterclass on colour theory. Here Iwai made a delightful turn away from the desaturated uniformity that has come to define the era of so-called quiet luxury, embracing richness and depth within his palette. Warm ochres, softened reds, and grounded earth tones emerged against the chill of the setting.
The lightness of the winter sun is an underexplored aspect of what the season has to offer. The collection opened with a series of soft beiges, standing as a canvas for radiant colours to trickle in as details become more apparent. Mustard yellow took shape in a turtleneck underlayer of Look 5, and a golden belt peaked through a trenchcoat in Look 8, the first few hints of Auralee moving away from subtlety. Free-flowing cuts ignited the feeling of wind, and silk mimicked the texture of soft skin, ushering in the welcoming embracement of the air’s cold touch in Look 8.
Elsewhere, pale blues introduced a very romantic feeling, complimented by sheer garments that further ingrained Iwai’s idea of an openness to the cold. Look 13, a sheer, full-body piece, featured open sleeve cuffs that draped far past the hand. A baby blue jacket tied at the waist formed some shape that would otherwise be completely swallowed by the piece. It conveyed a sense of freedom in finding serenity in the winter sun, being content with soaking up the light without warmth. Block colouring was boldly incorporated, creating a palette reminiscent of a children’s winter storybook. In Look 28, a royal blue overcoat, wide and rounded at its collar and a vibrant purple knitted scarf show up like candy wrappers against the stark white base.
Though winter is usually associated with heaviness and hibernation, Iwai indulged in relaxed suiting to steer clear of demanding anything serious in nature. Blazers that fold with the wearer’s movements, nothing strictly conformed to the body, and pants that fitted loosely at the waist, held up by colourful belts in hues of navy buckled slightly off centre. Look 23 featured a cherry red cashmere sweater, with a slightly wider collar that created the illusion of a red trim on the overshirt. The merry tone of red playfully overpowers the calm blue, resembling the process of pale cheeks becoming flushed with pink when hit with harsh air. Charm persists in Look 20, a wide-open plaid suit with blue and charcoal striping, pushing the notion of optimism as a golden belt and purple shirt peek out from each end of the sweater. Plaid was also sprinkled in the form of scarves, shirts and skirts. Look 18, a ‘teddy bear’ brown cashmere set, with a double cuff and high collar, perpetuated an adoration for the winter time. The overhaul of cashmere feels like utter adoration for the winter; like being overly joyous about the opportunity to rug up.
The overarching feeling of this collection is a pure devotion to searching for fleeting joys. It served as a wonderful reminder that winter does not have to be synonymous with darkness; that there is integrity in embracing sweetness. Iwai created a beaming appreciation for short-lived moments of light.
