In the mid-1960s, Matsuda and Kenzo sailed from Japan to Europe to make their way to Paris, the great beacon of fashion. After some six months, Matsuda returned to Japan with no money, while Kenzo stayed. Matsuda's aesthetic and cultural allegiance outside of Japan is not to Paris, but to England and America. His first company outside of Nicole Company in Japan was Matsuda USA which opened a Madison Avenue boutique in 1982. Matsuda has delved into the Anglo-American sportswear traditions as ardently as any designer, even as much as Ralph Lauren. What differentiates Matsuda from Lauren, though, is his critical, slightly adverse edge on examining traditions.
Matsuda's famous fall 1982 collections showed the impeccable tailoring of the English jackets, heavy trousers, layering, and indulgent textiles of the English countryside for men adapted for women, but with the almost impish heterogeneity of canvas aprons serving as a sign of the working class and as a reminder of the transference from male to female, female to male. As an apron customarily signified the female, Matsuda both broke and then reemployed the image of the apron from female to male and back again.
In fall-winter 1984 Matsuda's collections were seemingly inspired by Edwardian England; in fall-winter 1985, the collections seemed to step out of Burne-Jones paintings; the Moroccan embroideries of 1989 could seemingly have costumed a Paul Bowles novel. There is a further literary aspect to Matsuda's work in his preoccupation with words and letters. His clothing has been favored by artists, writers, and other creatives who have recognized a kinship with this most literary image-making style and who enjoy the practicality of clothing that mixes so easily, even improvisationally, with other separates.
There seemed to be a continuous synthesis about Matsuda's work; in fall-winter 1992, he created a homage to jazz saxophonist Miles Davis. His collections have often been presented as performance and were even affiliated with dance or visual arts. His advertising and photography have been collaborative art, presenting the clothing in secondary status to the picture.
Collectors item!
Wool body and padded polyester printed fabric sleeves
Size 8-10
Mint condition
91189
