Fashion Garments

The Eastern vibe that began in Milan has made its way here. Dries van Noten, who is known for his deft handling of print and color, mixed craft and technology, describing his collection as “Tokyo meets Calcutta.” This meant that photos of old batik art were printed on ultramodern fabrics; ikat, madras and checks looked unpretentiously cool together.

Prints were also key at Junya Watanabe. His paisley shorts, striped shirts and plaid jackets were trimly cut and artfully mismatched; the flat caps, patterned foulards and pocket squares gave the looks a Riviera touch. Watanabe continued his collaborations with Levi’s for jeans and Trickers for shoes; there were also some great raincoats, done in conjunction with Macintosh.

Even Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons was on board with the trend. Her drop-crotch trousers and pieced blazers were decorated with ragtag patches of assorted fabrics and vintage ties. And at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci, who had been working on the costumes for Michael Jackson’s English tour, used that inspiration for the runway. (A few of the pieces, including a gold medieval number worn over a hooded top with a back-to-front baseball cap attached, were actually designed for the tour.) The emphasis, true to the moment, was on street-inspired multiculturalism. Michael would have been proud.