Harnesses, Eyeliner, and a Plethora of Plaid – Landlord’s Fall 2018 Collection Was a Total 80s Punk Dream.
Now in his fifth season at New York Men’s Fashion Week, Landlord designer Ryohei Kawanishi honed in on his love of punk, drawing inspiration from his years at London’s Central Saint Martins and the Sex Pistols. Kawanishi fuses punk’s DIY aspect with his military-inspired streetwear to put a New York / Japanese spin on British punk.
Everyone is co-opting punk these days, but Kawanishi’s fresh spin on the genre combines elements of the punk music culture and its ideology of nonconforming fashion with oversized layers juxtaposed with harnesses, studded belts and straps. The collection includes super saturated Tartan plaids, corduroy jackets and trousers in neon brights like electric blue and acid-green, distressed color-blocked sweaters, and checkerboard patterned Novesta shoes.
Kawanishi’s strength lies in his knits, which is what he focused on during his stint at Central Saint Martins. In one look, two woven knit tops, one with the American flag, the other with the Japanese Hi No-Maru illustrate his message of irreverence styled with a glittering diamanté bras. Highlighting the on going nostalgia for 80s youth culture, Landlord’s collection also featured collabs with some key brands. The chunky boots came from Dr Martens, while Alpha Industries bombers were shown with matching waterproof joggers, and tough Blackmeans leather jackets were adorned with plenty of studs and zippers.