6 days ago
Junya Watanabe Man X Filson Collection Drops Tomorrow
A peacoat style double breasted coat based on the Filson Mackinaw Cruiser jacket, with shearling collar. Junya Watanabe Man
The Junya Watanabe Man x Filson limited edition capsule collection will drop tomorrow at Filson's New York, Los Angeles and Milan stores as well as Dover Street Market and The decidedly avant-garde pieces debuted earlier this year at the Watanabe Man runway show during Men's Fashion Week in Paris — described as 'bold reinterpretations of timeless Filson silhouettes, including the JacShirt, Mackinaw Wool Cruiser, and Mackinaw Work Vest.'
They had been in the works for several months. Last fall, Watanabe traveled from Tokyo to Seattle to meet with Filson's Chief Creative Officer, Alex Carleton. 'It was a perfect Seattle evening – windy, rainy, cold and dark,' recalled Carleton of Watanabe's arrival at the brand's flagship store. Carleton, who has been with the 128 year-old heritage brand for over a decade, had prepared rack upon rack of pieces from the company's archives – from uniforms they'd produced for the U.S. Forest Service to old-school fishing vests – as well as graphic design elements in the form of patches and logos, for the man he described as a 'superstar.'
Watanabe, for his part, had arrived with sketches and ideas of pieces he was interested in deconstructing. It's worth noting that this was not the first time the Japanese designer, who started as an apprentice pattern-maker at Comme des Garçons and launched his own label in 1992, had collaborated with Filson. In 2012 he launched pieces under his Comme des Garçons sub‑label (Eye), and last year he released a special edition Denim Cruiser jacket for said jacket's 110th anniversary. (Fun fact: the cruiser jacket was originally designed and engineered for timber surveyors working in the Pacific Northwest, with specific pockets for maps and surveyors tools, and was patented in 1914).
Junya Watanabe special edition jacket to celebrate the Filson's Cruiser's 110th anniversary Junya Watanabe Man
Carleton recalled that Watanabe 'was a consummate observer. He inspected everything with austerity and respect, and spent hours taking notes and photographs.' All the while Carleton, who previously held positions at Polo Ralph Lauren and L.L. Bean, engaged while attempting to remain calm in the presence of one of his idols. 'I remember living in New York City in the '90s and seeing a collection he did with [historic British leather company] Lewis Leathers. This was before people were going collab crazy,' he noted. 'I was really struck by how he integrated and adopted heritage clothing into modern art. He had a very skilled way of integrating disparate parts and pieces, disparate references to create something new and original.'
A modern iteration of a Filson Packer coat originally made for ranchers. Junya Watanabe Man
After that initial meeting, Carleton took Watanabe to a second Filson shop located in an area of north Seattle near the banks of Salmon Bay (so named because hundreds of thousands of salmon migrate through this estuary every year). 'I've got one of my style icons in my truck, and we're talking about Seattle and grunge and music he likes and the movie 'My Own Private Idaho.' It was very cool to spend time with him.' The next day, Watanabe flew back to Japan. Carleton kept expectations low. 'I didn't know what it would yield, but I didn't expect that it would be a collection, and I don't think that he expected it would be a collection.'
Within a few weeks it became clear that the collaboration would be more than just a few pieces. Carleton was sent sketches to review, comment and approve before Watanabe's studio would proceed. 'The sketches just kept coming and coming and I started to realize this might be a much bigger thing. Then we had a conversation when [Watanabe] said the entire show would be based on and inspired by Filson.'
41 looks — From sharply tailored fishtail mod coats to hybrid overcoats and reconstructed shirt jackets — were shown in a stark, chilly, concrete Parisian venue hung with Filson ad campaigns from over the decades. (Watch the show here). Carleton noted that 'it was a very comprehensive and expressive point of view.'
'It was all authentic. Everything from color, textures, materials and silhouettes. There were accessories, original tin cloth bags. So the icons were represented. He did some creative fusion pieces taking elements from our sporting goods heritage, so there were parts and pieces of fishing vests integrated into outerwear pieces.'
Coat with articulated fishing and gear pockets. Junya Watanabe Man
'That is the cool thing about Junya, I don't think anybody can argue the authenticity of his artistry and creative vision,' said Carleton. 'I felt he'd done an incredible job paying homage to the classic pieces of the Filson heritage, our business and who we are.'
The Junya Watanabe Man x Filson limited edition capsule collection will drop tomorrow (August 6th) at Filson's New York, Los Angeles and Milan stores as well as Dover Street Market and
A coat with elements from the Filson Mackinaw wool cruiser jacket; the red and black plaid fabric is original Mackinaw Heritage plaid wool. Junya Watanabe Man
