Reinventing Tailoring
The Japanese brand Ujoh unveiled its Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Paris Fashion Week at the Palais de Tokyo. The venue, renowned for showcasing contemporary art, proved to be the perfect backdrop for this innovative collection.
The Power of Transformation
Ujoh reinterprets classic garments with a modern twist, a transformation that is evident through the deconstruction of each piece. The idea is to offer new functions or, better yet, expand their versatility. For instance, wide-leg trousers feature deep slits, transforming them into flowing skirts. Traditional waistcoats take on oversized forms with expansive cuts and layered capes. Meanwhile, wrap skirts are reimagined as strapless dresses. At Ujoh, everything transforms.
For Ujoh, tailoring and cut are of paramount importance, which comes as no surprise considering the brand’s designer, Mitsuru Nishizaki, worked for seven years as a pattern maker for Yohji Yamamoto before launching his own label in 2009.
Nishizaki noted that the extreme weather conditions of the Japanese summer prompted him to reconsider the collection. How could he adapt it to the climatic changes we are currently experiencing? The result is a collection filled with strategic cut-outs, designed to breathe, open up, transform, and flow with layers.
The Game of Garments
In Ujoh’s collection, garments can be removed and reassembled, with a utilitarian edge expressed through visible pockets and carefully placed ties. Shirts are cropped, and the designer seeks to bring a fresh approach to the art of tailoring, intentionally breaking conventions with bold, asymmetric cuts.
For Ujoh’s summer collection, neutral tones played with pastel shades such as lilac, blue, and yellow, bringing a sense of lightness to Spring/Summer 2025. The textiles ranged from matte, washed organza, which conveys a sense of flow and airiness perfect for the season, to satin treated with the traditional Japanese tie-dye technique, shibori, adding a handcrafted touch to modernity.
Mono-Shirts
A standout feature of the collection was the mono-shirt, a one-shoulder piece tied with scarves that fluttered like a summer breeze around the bodies of the models.
The Sporty Collaboration
The most significant surprise of the collection was Ujoh’s collaboration with the sports brand Reebok. This partnership gave rise to several pieces that fused sportswear with tailored design, including jumpsuits, coats, and skirts. The guiding principles were: cut-outs, layering, and asymmetry. These pieces were crafted from technical, textured fabrics, reflecting Nishizaki’s passion for vintage fashion and his desire to explore this world with a sportier approach.
Ujoh has been a regular feature at Paris Fashion Week for several seasons, and its modern take on tailoring continues to win over the European market, all while maintaining a sense of elegance.
We’re keeping an eye on this brand and can’t wait to see its next steps!
Photos credits Ujoh
