There was a lot of anticipation for the Paris debut of Anrealage: Creativity is not particularly high on the fashion agenda at the moment, which makes the arrival of a new Japanese designer in town an exciting prospect. From the stark setup to the almost martial rhythm of the show, as well as the inventiveness and dense experimentation of the clothes, it felt like a genuinely Japanese fashion experience. Anrealage—which, according to the press notes, combines the words real, unreal, and age—is the brainchild of designer Kunihiko Morinaga, who started the project in 2005 after winning the Avant-Garde Grand Prix at Gen Art in New York. He began showing at the Tokyo collections the following year.

By his own admission, Morinaga is obsessed with details. He relies on advanced technology to produce labor-intensive creations that come in intricate laser-cut latticework, stiff textures, and state-of-the-art fabrications. There was an odd Belle Époque feel to this collection, twisted and turned this way and that—puffy sleeves, curved cuts, a tight bust, solemn skirts. Asymmetry—another Japanese obsession—was prominent. Almost every piece came with its built-in diagonal shadows in the form of intarsia. An outstanding studded ladylike coat had tiny inlays defining the shadow of every single spike. Hems went askew, and sleeves came in different volumes on the same garment. The showstopping pieces, however, were a series of heat-reactive shifts, the chemical color alteration slowly activated in front of the public while models stood still under glaring spotlights. For a debut, the collection looked accomplished and even surprising, if a tad too reminiscent of the way other Japanese designers already present their work in Paris. Fabric technology was truly outstanding, but also, somehow, disconnected from the design. In the future, it would be interesting to see a closer relation between the two. All in all, though, a wonderful addition to the Paris calendar.