Motohiro Tanji (Q3445)

Since launching his eponymous label five years ago, Motohiro Tanji has remained laser-focused on avant-garde knits. This week in Tokyo, he staged a hybrid presentation and runway show that began in pitch darkness before two stage lamps flicked on above a small raised platform and static-filled piano music played.“Reflected in the Water” was the title. Models strode onto the platform to stand in formation, then slowly walked off one by one for a turn about the room. The format gave showgoers plenty of time to examine the pieces in quiet calm. There were Fair Isle and argyle sleeves, dashed onto a black cable-knit, and ultra-cropped sweaters with frilled loops at the shoulders, sometimes tied once around the chest in fanny-pack fashion. More sculptural handknit numbers with thickly layered ruffles and crochet work were striking to see as they walked by. Each sweater was paired with distressed or patchworked denim. Though the contrast did its job, he could’ve taken things further. An equally thoughtful treatment of the bottom half would help push the line forward next go around.