What will we be wearing when the world burns? Hidesign might have an answer.
The Tokyo-based workwear design company, which recently began a foray into fashion by making what it calls “work couture,” has an interesting mission: to make cutting-edge clothes that are as fashionable as they are practical. This time, designers Hideo Yoshii and Souta Yamaguchi held a small exhibition to show their collection, and presented it keynote-style to the audience.
The collection was aptly called “Blue Collar,” in reference to both the uniforms of the physical laborers that inspired it, and literally in the colors: so far Hidesign’s clothes have only ever been gray, but this time they appeared in cobalt, navy, and aqua.
Every item presented was well-thought-out, in both form and function. In one jacket, the designers incorporated a battery-operated fan system to blow cool air around inside, so that it inflated like a wearable balloon (in a display that drew oohs and ahhs from the audience). In another, compartments were lined with aluminium foil to keep drinks bottles or snacks chilled for longer—a picnic cooler in your pocket. A hooded raincoat had been designed to be worn over a backpack. Great for a rogue storm, sure, but the wildly outsized silhouette is what seals the deal.
We’ve seen workwear become an increasing part of the luxury fashion conversation in recent years, but the rise of vintage Carhartt chore jackets and canvas twill cargo pants has also come with criticisms that the rich are appropriating blue collar uniforms in an obscene show of plebeian cosplay. Perhaps because its designs are so new and innovative, and increasingly applicable to modern life, what Hidesign does is not that. Instead, this collection felt like a refreshing level-up and an insight into what the clothing of the future could be. “We are very much thinking about how we can contribute to society with these clothes,” said Yamaguchi.
It’s an increasingly pertinent pursuit. If the brutally hot and humid summers in Japan and around the world continue to worsen—as they are predicted to—Hidesign’s in-built fan vests and cooler pockets may well offer the clothing-conscious among us a way to brave the heat in style.
