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harajuju:

Kiryuyrik Autumn/Winter 2012 — Full Lookbook Here

I’ve been waiting anxiously to write about this collection since it was first teased during Paris Fashion Week last month. I discovered Kiryuyrik (pronounced: Kiryu-Kiryu) last July by complete chance, and it has since become my favourite brand has changed my aesthetic tastes almost single-handedly.

Kiryuyrik’s AW12 collection carries strong echos of the just-passed AW11 collection. However, this is not a lazy recycling of ideas. Masakatsu Takayanagi’s design ethos — and indeed, much of the Japanese menswear scene — revolves heavily around continuously refining and adapting the same ideas to new garments.

The Napoleon jacket has become the trademark piece of Kiryuyrik. Selling out at shops pretty much instantly, it’s no surprise to see that AW12 contains two new editions of the iconic outerwear: a check wool version (though it appears striped from a distance) and an incredibly decadent calf-leather version.

In fact, much of the focus of this collection is around outerwear, with a shawl blouson and a contemporary take on the traditional moto jacket joining the Napoleon as headline leather pieces.

There are trenchcoats abounds, short and long, with or without fur, made in a variety of wools, including a beautiful butterfly-jacquard material.

The prints are a mix of the old and the new, with popular rose patterns making a return along with a new monogram print that combines tree classic Kiryuyrik images: a broken cross, a butterfly, and a gothic K logo. Unlike most monogram prints, the fact that these are brand images is going to be obvious to those who are in-the-know.

Other Kiryuyrik classics make a return, including bondage, cargo, sarouel and curved pants, hip scarves, and shawl cardigans — though they’re all done in new materials and some impressive processing that keeps the ideas from feeling tired. There is also a new pair of boots that combine both the jodphur and parachute boots of past seasons.

Generally Kiryuyrik’s Spring/Summer collections tend to be more casual, whereas the Autumn/Winter collections are all about decadence and drama. This holds true for the current collection, but with reviews from stockists proclaiming this as Kiryuyrik’s strongest season ever, it appears many are ready to buy into the glamour.

• Check out the full lookbook on Kiryuyrik’s Facebook page
• Pre-order the collection at Hardi-Vague (will ship overseas)

Please send us any questions you have about Kiryuyrik!

My review of the new Kiryuyrik collection!

I’ll post the items I am considering pre-ordering soon.