Designer Masanori Morikawa.

THAT’S WHAT HE SAID

Designer Masanori Morikawa founded Christian Dada in 2010. Six years later, his clothing, which he describes as unconventional and nonconformist, is all over Japan, all over Lady Gaga and Usher, all over Paris Fashion Week. The Japanese label is poised to make its mark in Singapore, with its flagship store now open at 268 Orchard Road.

NAME, PLEASE

The name Christian came from Morikawa’s grandfather, while Dada is a derivation of Dadaism, an avant-garde, anarchic artistic movement that began in early 20th-century Europe. The concept corresponds with Morikawa’s fundamental values. “My creations may not look perfect or beautiful by traditional standards. I find beauty in imperfections,” he says. He interprets this using visually heavy silhouettes, moody colours and rugged edges.

(Related: Christian Dada Flagship Store Opening)

LATEST OBSESSION

Morikawa took to the work of famed photographer, Nobuyoshi Araki, whose provocative photographs draw as much crowd as it does controversy. “It happened while I was forced to contemplate about life and death amidst natural disasters, terror attacks and wars,” he says. “How Araki deals with his own illness and his attitude towards such themes inspired me.” Araki’s consistency in bondage as a theme also rubbed off on Morikawa.

FINAL PRODUCT

Autumn/winter 2016 sees Morikawa using a variety of techniques to embody the images from Araki’s Love on the Left Eye series, which materialised after the latter lost the use of his right eye. Morikawa reconstructed the nature motifs onto his garments with Yokoburi embroidery and punch embroidery to “express vivid colour and lively impression”. The result? Subtly sexual accessories, eccentric proportions and, yards and yards of velvet.