Summer blooms with Japanese prints

The key expressing your individuality this summer lies in your choice of the prints that adorn your clothes. By all means, take your time, because the diversity can be daunting, particularly among the luxury brands, which are drawing heavy influence from Japanese motifs.

At Carven, recently opened at Bangkok’s EmQuartier mall, elements borrowed from Japanese culture are printed on gorgeous clothing, combined with the sharp shapes seen in racing sports. Race cars for a woman? Yes, because she has all the stamina of Formula 1!

The prints borrow the look of vintage Japanese painted postcards, but here they’re reinterpreted with modern rhythms – the zips, lines and graphics seen on the racing circuit.

Meanwhile Alexander McQueen’s spring-summer collection goes in for Japanese kimonos. His models on the runway wear geisha makeup and samurai-inspired hair, tied in a high ponytail. Floral and kite prints enliven rich fabrics such as engineered-silk jacquards and knits, silk wools, chiffon, organza and leather. The colours include geisha pink, blossom pink, lantern red, black, silver and bone. The shoes are banded black, white and geisha-pink sandals with lacquered soles hovering above Perspex heels.

And another top designer, Phillip Lim takes his cues from judo, presenting dresses with swathes of transparency, multiple layers and lovely embroidery and prints. 

The hem is above the knee with a slight flare, or with graphic layers. Belts, Double-D-ring closures and amplified loops draw references from judo outfits and other utilitarian garments. Women have “protected exposure” thanks to cut-outs in unexpected places. Extreme-crop tops highlight the midriff with judo-inspired belts and poplin basics are re-imagined with drawstrings. The trouser cuffs just skim the ankles. Rows of top stitching and functional button tabs develop the martial-arts theme further.

Next we have the Lucent 6x6 tote from Bao Bao by Issey Miyake, with its “Money” design, specifically an array of comically silk-printed Japanese 10,000-yen bills. You can even see the watermark in the embossing. This is a truly fun piece.

Easing into summer on a wave of muted shades, Paul Smith offers light blue hues, off-whites and taupes offset by bursts of khaki, navy and occasionally black. The usual Paul Smith stripes this season run across silk separates and down loose-cut suit jackets. The palette of natural colours is complemented by raw and tactile fabrics. 

Convention is often subverted through this combination of textures, with pieces featuring contrasting cloth types patchworked together. Rough linen sits alongside smooth satin and twill cotton is punctuated with panels of sheer silk. Deconstructing the form of a dinner shirt, buttoned collars are replaced with roll necks, sleeves are shortened to ease formality and skirts are sometimes added to create summer dresses. Elsewhere, bib fronts remain and, again, contrasting fabrics are used to bring freshness.

For its debut collection in Bangkok, Rag and Bone New York presents the new interpretation of purity in its women’s line. With the emphasis on natural fabrics, cotton is the core material for the season. Canvas, silk twill and indigo hemp also feature, with texturing blocking adding depth. City tribalism is evoked in exaggerated, fluid silhouettes. The seasonal key floral print appears in several iterations, from exploded to digitalised versions. Cropped tops and hyper-brief, lingerie-inspired shorts balance out the overarching languid, tomboy tone.

Blooming motifs have a textural appeal also in Marni’s latest resort collection. A spontaneous energy charges the outfits, conveying an idea of luxurious athleticism. The shape is effortless, neat and fast.

Geometric intarsia knitting characterises short dresses, zip-up polo tops worn with A-line minis and the coat-dresses and leather pieces. 

Dense jacquards run on blousons and Bermuda shorts and bonded a applique flowers decorate leather shifts. Colourful regatta stripes further highlight the sophisticatedyetsporty feel along the sides of wide trousers and on crewneck tops with asymmetric hems matched with chiffon skirts, creating layered, airy shadows.  The stress on firmness is balanced by softness in crepe de chine and chiffon tops worn with matching skirts and finished with crochet. Long printed dresses and polo tunics paired with slim trousers have a fluid ease. Sculptural ruffles and embroideries decorate short dresses.