The Tsumori Chisato lookbook was shot along the Sumida River in Tokyo, but the collection took cues from a recent river cruise the Japanese designer took down the Nile. They share little in common but Chisato has always been adept at overlapping her different experiences. And go figure, with so many other designers channeling breezy vacation clothes and vibrant palettes, this collection doesn’t strike as random as other recent outings.
That said, your interest in these printed sundresses and multicolored knits will be contingent on how attached you are to the subject matter of papyrus plants, deities, and camels. Her pointillist pastel pyramids, for instance, were very pretty as an artistic composition but somewhat specific for a dress to wear over and over again. Conversely, there was something quaint and quirky to the delicate embroidery depictions of mummies and hieroglyphs on a fresh white cotton dress. In the photos, it appears with knitted sneakers that were also quaint and quirky—a fun counterpoint to both the hyper-sleek and hyper-ugly styles.
Chisato delivered some pleasing non-thematic pieces: a seersucker-like check suit which could be worn as separates, and flow-y pants in a fil coupe silk jacquard that could do triple duty on vacations. You can’t help but wonder to what degree Chisato designs for her future travels. To ask how many places she’s visited is to bore her. “I don’t count; anyway, it’s a lot,” she said. This month, the designer will have a retrospective of her work in Tokyo, and planning for it was partly why she opted out of a show/presentation. This was an easy collection both in inspiration and outcome, which means it stands a good chance of being collected by those who live vicariously through her adventures.
