Fujiwara

Giuliano (1947). Japanese designer. Fujiwara has long been based in Italy, although he is originally from Japan: he was born in Osaka and studied Oriental literature before attending the Bunka College of Fashion of Tokyo. He began his career designing menswear for Van Jacket in Japan, and moved to Italy in the 1970s where he became the menswear designer of Barbas. He launched his eponymous collection in 1986 and a women’s line two years later. Fujiwara has often cited a formal and classic Japanese style, and the Ivy League style, as two of the inspirations for his rigorous designs.
His collection at Milano Moda Uomo displays rigor and a formal minimalism in a perfect, almost ascetic, Japanese style. His style is simple and linear, without excessive decoration, and lean in shape. It stresses the quality of the fabric, its comfort and wearability, and clean, precise colors. The only transgressions are the colored stitches, the dots and stripes, and the hooded jackets, plus a distinctive “apron” worn tight around the waist and various creased garments.
Once again a return to the rigorous and formal look which has made the Japanese designer famous, but with some amusing and ironic touches. He is inspired by the English fashions of the 1960s, and by the uniforms of boarding school students, revisited with the indisputable nonconformism of someone who rebels against the rules and allows himself some small eccentricities. He maintains a perfect tailoring cut in suits, jackets, shirts, and trousers, though they are made more joyful with colored bands and stripes which run along the hems of jackets and vests. There are in addition many varieties of pins to decorate and complete vests and ties.