Somarta Fall 2009

Tamae Hirokawa may have gained notoriety by being ‘the chosen one’ and having been taken under the personal tuition of master Issey Miyake, but she’s carving a place all her own in the fashion world. Decidedly toned down compared to the last few seasons, this collection makes perhaps an even more powerful impact, as it emanates strength and a distinct and mythical beauty.

Trading in a lot of the flair, she seems to have done some serious editing work – not that her clothes seemed to even need it – but the result is indeed gorgeous and gives her work more of a decadent feel overall; the colors, the fabrics, it’s all very rich in tone or texture. Her signature patterns are usually the focal point to a great degree but this season, you’re left to appreciate the sheer beauty of her pieces. I think the ability she has to combine textures so severely, without it looking messy or overbearing, is really special.

The accessories are amazing, but aren’t they always? Yes, but let’s do some redundant gushing anyways. The jaw guards are so, so stunning and I really hope they go to retail. The stockings are a familiar thing, but they look so fresh every time. As do the bodysuits, body stocking, gloves, et al.

While it wasn’t the focus of this collection, her signature pattern is still prevalent as ever and the approaches she took toward working it in this season is really admirable. For instance, the pattern is often on a sheer, light fabric, but we see garments here where she’s translated the pattern via embroidery on opaque pieces instead. She’s also got a design company, Soma Designs, which focus on applying her signature patterns onto products, installations, furniture and more. She was even invited last year by Toyota, to make-over their Compact IQ model.

There are so many more things to mention here but I know I have a tendency to ramble on insufferably about my favorite designers, so I will keep it short. I love the collection, I love her and I look forward to her future more with each passing creation she unleashes on the world.