One Ocean, All Lands
Autumn/Winter 2022
There is an immense beauty to be found in function and utility. When you think of performance fabrics or tech wear, you would be forgiven for thinking of either highly technical clothing made for a singular activity (say mountaineering), or the straps on straps on straps of the #techwear aesthetic (long departed from Acronym’s function-based design that so many brands have since bastardised). Thankfully brands have picked up on the popularity of functional performance clothing and expanded the options available. Thus we see a number of performance brands creating lifestyle-centric pieces and collections.
I enjoy seeing how technology and innovation take hold in fashion, to help us create clothes with less environmental impact, or help protect us from the elements in a more efficient way, or any number of quality of life improvements. Our ability to create functional but beautiful clothing improves every day, and I find some comfort in that. Fashion is relentless, because to stop in fashion is to die, or worse, be forgotten. In the face of such frenzy I really do find myself drawn to slow fashion and more thoughtful design that focuses on longevity and functionality.
Of course I still love novelty, but novelty alone cannot sustain us - it is best given in small doses, and indeed I think this is reflected in the way that I build my wardrobe. I want the majority of my wardrobe to be multi-purpose garments suited to my lifestyle and daily activities. I am sure I am not alone in having wasted money over the years buying something that I thought looked really cool and felt special, but soon realised that I never had an opportunity to wear it and felt a little silly for giving into that compulsion.
I always try to be mindful of function when it comes to my own wardrobe, because once you have figured out the functions you require, you have a more focused direction that actually feels freeing. When I speak of function, I use the term loosely, because the functions we prioritise in clothing are individual to all of us. For myself, I would rather focus on the practical realities before indulging in things that are less practical and bought almost purely for the fun of it (still important to have those pieces though!).
A lot of brands these days are creating clothing designed for social media, which is easily recognisable and is made to stand out immediately from an outfit. After all, if everyone is constantly scrolling through a never ending stream of content, it takes something beautiful, loud or strange to get people to stop for a second. While I think there is nothing wrong with eye-catching design, I think that it often trumps the experience of the wearer in favour of novelty for the viewer. But for me the embodied experience and how the clothes feel to wear is key.
Nanamica’s brand ethos is one of creating functional clothing that is meant to be universal in its design and mindful of the environment. On paper that ticks all of my boxes. I am fascinated by the idea of universality, because you seem to get two camps of designers - those who design purely for their niche or tribe of fans, and those who seek to create something more inclusive. Both are valid approaches and can create something beautiful, but I do like the idea of clothing as a tool to bring people together. Fashion is simultaneously about individuality and belonging, but I think that paradox is what makes it so special.
This Autumn/Winter 2022 collection is the debut of nanamica’s womenswear collection, which I was pleasantly surprised to see. I was intrigued by the brand director, Eiichiro Homma’s statement that “My hope is for such clothing for the woman who embraces how she herself feels, before the clothing itself, will let her feel comfortable and cool in various scenes of her daily life, from chilling, working, and living.” The idea of embracing emotion and feeling before approaching the clothes is something that resonates with me, because dressing is such a mindful activity for me.
What I see when I look at this collection is beautiful everyday clothing, which belies the amount of thought that has gone into the clothes in terms of function and performance. Whether it is the hoodie with fast drying core covered yarn, or the waterproof Gore-Tex coaches jacket with merino wool lining for comfort, or the Balmacaan coat with fluorine-free water repellent coated cotton that is environmentally friendly, I love the consideration given to the comfort of the wearer and versatility of each garment in multiple environments. I find that level of thought truly beautiful.
xxxx
