Yohei Ohno Tokyo Fall 2023 Collection

“I don’t want the world to view me as a Japanese designer; I want them to see me in my own right,” said Yohei Ohno during his fall presentation at a gallery in Shibuya. It’s an understandable protest, especially given how guilty the fashion press can be of boxing up a designer based on where they’re from. This season Ohno worked on breaking out of that shell with a collection inspired by his idiosyncratic view of clothing, to create pieces that were “something ordinary, somehow lovely.”

This meant a decidedly eccentric approach that intentionally went against what Ohno called a “mainstream” vision of luxury. Though totally brand-new in fabrication and design, it was an impressionist interpretation of worn-out vintage clothing. There were high-collared wrap coats, miniskirts that were fashioned in tough cotton reminiscent of military wear, and sequined slips stamped with graphic prints. Ohno dislikes the tedious ubiquity of T-shirts, and so instead made fun T-shirt-shaped handbags, or fine turtlenecks that were printed with purple jags of lightning that recalled metal band tees that you might pick up at a thrift store.

The brand introduced footwear for the first time this season and brought in the shoe designer Ikue Enomoto to help. Heeled pumps were made from sheepskin, and flanked by tubing details that made them feel futuristic and industrial. Those distinctive curves—which also appeared on utilitarian skirts and nylon leggings—were inspired by the arms of Cassina chairs (Ohno is a furniture design fan).

Taking sci-fi elements from industrial product design and turning them into wearable garments is something Ohno does particularly well. There’s room for him to push this more, and to temper and twist his introspection and contrarianism respectively. You can spot a Yohei Ohno piece from a mile away. He’s a unique designer and he’s at his best when he leans into that quirkiness.