There’s a lot of play-acting in fashion, and it extends beyond “types” into materiality. This is especially true in menswear, where over the past few years work- and activewear have become trendy. Translating purposeful garments into fashionable ones often means stripping them of their original functionality; an office worker, for example, is unlikely to need the protection offered by a steel cap in a boot, but he might be all-in for the aesthetic.
Daisuke Obana’s N.Hoolywood Test Product Exchange Service occupies a middle ground between function and fashion. The very purpose of this line is to reinterpret military gear for urban use; at the same time, the idea, according to press materials, is that TPES be “recognized as an authentic military line,” which seems like a big ask. Expertise is the difference between this offering and others with a similar aesthetic. Obana is deeply knowledgeable and passionate about the subject, working with his team to understand the history, setting, purpose of the vintage garments they find. For fall, the team focused on the British Special Forces; the result is a plethora of jackets and pants with plenty of zippers and utility pockets in a somber palette of khaki, olive drab, navy, and black, many of which look sturdy or warm. A number of pieces seem incredibly light in their make. Via email, Obana explained that many of the textiles used work new synthetic fibers into active fabrics.
In keeping with TPES’s style, this season’s “scenography” has a documentary feel. Photographed, Obana said, in “a training facility unofficially used by members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces special units, [that] is also famous as a kind of holy ground for people who play serious survival games,” the models look like soldiers. This August marked 80 years since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, following “the war meant to end all wars,” World War I. Global peace remains elusive. Given the incessant reporting on the activities of ICE, the fact that some of the models wear face-hiding masks is triggering. (It’s difficult to pedal back and remember that these accessories have an actual protective function—warmth.) Having shared this reaction with the designer, he replied: “In Japan, images like these are shown in the media so routinely that people’s awareness has weakened. What begins with masks can easily extend to how we see war and crisis on the news—treated as if it were just part of everyday life. Through this visual, I wanted viewers to pause and reflect, to resist that sense of normalcy, and to hope for this global situation to end soon….” He continued, “Beyond politics, I believe it’s important for each of us to raise awareness so things can move toward resolution. Some may see my visuals as amplifying unease, but the reality is that people are risking their lives on battlefields. By confronting feelings of fear, urgency, or compassion, I hope we can take even a small step forward.”