Shoop designers Miriam Sanz and Yohei Oki are new to Tokyo, having moved here from Madrid in June. Sanz’s Spanish influence brings a freshness to the Tokyo Fashion Week calendar, while Oki’s Japanese heritage provides a foundation that helps them fit in. “We are two designers who grew up in completely different cultures, so I think we can find new things and perspectives from that,” Oki said backstage.
For their spring show, which took place in the underground ramp of Japan’s National Stadium, those perspectives came in the form of industrial techwear tempered by a softly sensual flair, equal parts masculine and feminine (gender is something the designers take a loose approach to). to have). ). Nylon jumpsuits were studded with metal snaps, bondage pants and jackets had belts at the knees and elbows, and sheer and sparkly lurex hoodies hung as low as dresses.
The softer staples in wool and cotton are inspired by the baby clothes the couple have been spending a lot of time with lately; their 8 month old Mika was backstage grinning happily at the commotion. Elsewhere, pinstriped wide-leg pants were cut open at the sides to reveal the satiny inner lining, making them look like chic track pants, a clever nod to the seedy dress vibe of today’s fashion.
Shoop’s overall identity feels a bit groundless – after all, the designers have just moved over 9,000 miles around the world – but there are nice touches to be found in the medley. Some of the cutouts in the track jackets were so sensitive that the visible skin could have been extra stripes on the fabric. Was there a deeper meaning behind those specific details? “It was exactly the mood we were in,” the statement read. Sometimes the whim is the way.
