Setchu shows “first and last” fashion show at Pitti Uomo

At the end of Pitti Uomo, the Japanese brand Setchu invited people to its first runway show.

The presence of the Contemporary label underlined the Italian menswear fair’s efforts to strengthen its connections with creatives and, in particular, buyers from the region. This is also reflected in the new partnership with the Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFWO).

Setchu’s show, which took place in the city’s National Library with a grand backdrop, is said to be the brand’s first and last runway appearance and reflects designer Satoshi Kuwata’s more modest approach to presentation. It’s a mindset that Kuwata has long favored, as he prefers to keep his own costs low so that the brand remains more affordable for his customers.

The collection itself was also infused with the values ​​of Kuwata, who has become known for combining Japanese and Western influences in his reinterpreted classic and traditional pieces. A deconstructed shirtdress was tied at the waist with a belt, while a jacket was unfolded into unexpected shapes reminiscent of a loose kimono. Her print: a depiction of a Japanese landscape in which bonsai trees envelop the scene in powerful streams of color.

Paper is said to have been the starting point for the collection, as Kuwata told the trade magazine WWD before the show. The designer used the material to influence proportion and functionality, as seen in a range of geometric workwear and rigid structuring that formed distinctive silhouettes in both men’s and women’s wear. Similar to previous collections, gender remained unimportant, instead the looks blurred such preconceived notions.

Setchu has already made a name for itself in the wider fashion world, having won the 2023 LVMH Prize for Young Designers and previously presented as scheduled in Milan. The designer Kuwata has also achieved global recognition and has previously worked in the studios of Givenchy, Gareth Pugh and Kanye West, among others. However, taking on a guest designer spot at Pitti puts Setchu in a league with Martine Rose, SS Daley and Wales Bonner, previous names to have held the prestigious position.

The brand currently has 45 retail partners, Kuwata told Vogue Business ahead of the event, but hopes the Pitti presentation will help increase that number.

Setchu’s presence was not the only way the Land of the Rising Sun was represented at Pitti. Appropriately, his selection came before the conclusion of a new partnership between Pitti Immagine and JFWO and was therefore in keeping with Pitti’s overarching goal of strengthening ties with the region. A statement from Lapo Cianchi, director of communications and events at Pitti Immagine, said the organization has “developed a passion for exploring the great masters and innovators of Japanese fashion,” and as it continues to develop a new one Supporting a generation of designers through their trade shows, Kuwata by Setchu was a “natural choice” to celebrate this season.