How do we live and behave in daily lives, not just in an occasion to dress? Where to go, how close to others, what clothes to wear, how to walk and how to move… Our attitude is gradually being embodied by learning from, applying and utilizing experiences for two years of movement restrictions.
Designer Mari Odaka thought over the term “scene” which means a view of a place or a set of activities, while looking back on her collections she involved in during the pandemic. She got inspiration from performance art by Atsuko Tanaka, known as a member of the Gutai Art Association.
“I remembered when I saw Tanakaʼ s Electric Dress (1957) at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2009. It was composed entirely of light bulbs and fluorescent tubes painted in primary colors with a plethora of entangled electrical cords. “Is this a dress?” I faced it lights-off, it caught my heart but I was still confused. I wandered around the venue with it stuck in my mind. Thatʼ s when I suddenly felt something lights-on and -off from a distance. I turned back and found it the dress sculpture surrounded by bright lights like neon lamps. The accidental scene of “happening” is still clearly visible in my mind. Passage of time, people-place relationships, changing art and audience… I thought like the essence of performance art is in the harmony of all the elements. Unexpected or unanticipated events which may happen every day probably resemble someone or something that you will meet in the future passing in front of or beside you.”
“Happenings or meetings that you remember over time” have some fascinations. 2022 autumn winter collection focuses on the concept of seeing mood and scene in malamuteʼ s iconic silhouette, texture and knitting items. Especially a range of combinations with knitting and zipper is characteristic.
This seasonʼ s that high-gauge knit shapes is a two-way zipper cardigan. The floral inlay jacquard knitted with five colors of yarn is designed a bi-color dress with a zipper slit. The Nordic grunge-like sweater has zipper side slits, and a half-zip cotton collar to make different impressions.
Changing mood through adjusting width of slits by opening or closing zippers, creates playful and joyful mind for styling. It reflects Odakaʼ s desire to put herself in scenes lifting spirits, such as breathtaking or excited situations.
The coat, MA-1, jacket, and cardigan knitted with special thick fabric, has a tuck on the waist to make different impressions by changes of oneʼ s position. They are available in two designs: plain and glen check, which was inspired by the high‐spirited fashion in 1960s, the Mods.
This time collection has also easy-to-move skinny jeans for bottoms, combined with ribbed knit. International Klein Blue by Yves Klein, where you can feel dynamic energy, and vivid pink and gold extracted by his works such as “Anthropometries (1960),” break the concept of “comfortable space and suppressed emotions” that malamute has kept, and create a new mood raising spirits.
The middle gauge knit with crazy pattern has become light dress and skirts by combinations with colorful lame, wool, and polyester yarns. This series make shade and light in the pleats by oneʼ s movements and change its visual impressions to provide playful mind.
The mood of this season is made up of contrasting elements in the collection. There are various colors of items and matte and subdued items at the same time, such as the flower motif hand crocheted knitting with chenille yarns. The frilly gathering knit bag made of wool comes in as well as the last season. The accessory series contains earrings and necklace with a lot of pins and balls and beaded earrings inspired by the Electric Dress.
The visuals photographed inside and outside of a unique building make you feel various “scenes” and changes in her mood. They share the mood of characters in “Chungking Express (1994)” directed by Wong Kar-wai, and “Night on Earth (1992)” directed by Jim Jarmusch.
Malamute Autumn Winter 2022 – 2023, all images courtesy of Malamute
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