Anrealage Fall Winter 2022-2023 “Planet”. Review by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE.

Anrealage brand, founded by Kunihiko Morinaga. The name comes from a neologism that combines “a real”, “unreal”, and “age”. It refers to Mr. Morinaga’s challenging attitude as he reexamines everyday living through dress production and recreates fashion based on his questions and discoveries.

The theme of the 16th Paris Collection for Anrealage is “PLANET”.
This collection will be held at the “Space Exploration Experiment Building” on the JAXA Sagamihara Campus.

“We aimed to create clothing that would cross the borders between the Earth and the Moon. The idea for the collection came from the collaboration with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). They provided us with a very special venue, a unique space imitating the surface of the moon. So we decided we were going to make clothes that would be suitable for that,” – said Kunihiko Morinaga.

This facility has an experimental site that imitates the surface topography of the moon and planets by spreading silica sand, and is an experimental facility used for experiments such as spacecraft as a base for research and development related to space exploration. At JAXA, we are promoting the participation of the lunar orbiting manned base (Gateway), which is being studied internationally, and research and development for sustainable exploration activities on the lunar surface, and in the near future, Japanese people will be on the moon. It is also being considered to land on the surface.

With the cooperation of JAXA’s video data related to these space exploration activities, Anrealage will explore future fashion in which humankind will play an active role in space through this collection.

Space is something that can’t be fully understood trough science and technology’s lenses only. The astronauts on the International Space Station when they are out in Space, they develop the consciousness of being an “Earthling”. This transcends any of their nationality on Earth.

In this project Anrealage described the universe in fashion terms, bringing Space into a context other than science and technology might be able to reach, to have a wider audience than JAXA has already.

“I read a lot of material on the spacesuit and conceived the silhouette based on what I’ve learned. It traces back very symbolic shapes. I thought it would be interesting to use the spacesuit, instead of the human body, as a prototype to make clothes. I thought it would unveil unprecedented possibilities for patternmaking. The clothes we created as a spacesuit are very voluminous and bulky, but once they are on the ground the air is released, and the force of gravity creates drapes and shirring in the clothes. Although its volume, we were able to create variation in the silhouettes and introduce them as everyday wear,” – said Kunihiko Morinaga in his interview.

The fabrics used are the fabrics which can freely emit light, resembling liquid-crystal displays. Anrealage developed the fabrics that allow light pass through the surface of the textile.
And the creation of the collection became almost a mission.

See all Runway Looks Anrealage Fall Winter 2022-2023