Japanese label BASICKS, helmed by designer Masanori Morikawa, presented its Fall/Winter 2025 collection at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo. Titled “CMYK2025,” the show explored the concept of blending—across color, genre, and time. Rather than referencing the primary color model literally, BASICKS used CMYK as a metaphor for fluidity, remixing disparate styles, silhouettes, and eras.
From the outset, the brand’s signature tension between simplicity and disruption was on full display. Looks featured unexpected twists: aprons reimagined as oxford shirts, reversed denim, spliced tank tops, belted skirts, and pants appearing halfway undone. These weren’t just visual tricks—they raised subtle questions about how clothing functions, and what defines “normal” in daily wear.
Despite their unconventional appearance, many designs stemmed from simple ideas. A draped shirt tied at the neck, for instance, offered a subtle shift that reshaped the entire silhouette. The collection emphasized how minor distortions can create fresh perspectives without overcomplication.
Morikawa’s references came largely from offline sources—early John Galliano shirts, Anne-Marie Beretta archives—and were filtered through a present-day lens, occasionally infused with digital-age irony. That juxtaposition informed a mix of Y2K elements, 1980s-inspired knits, mini shorts, faux fur boots, and accessories reminiscent of underground subcultures. The looks felt unfiltered, curated more by instinct than trend.
Sport also played a central role, particularly in the show’s latter half. Uniform-like elements from baseball, soccer, and motorsports appeared throughout—often remixed through knit textures or restructured layering. A faux team logo adorned cropped jerseys, while checkered F1 flag motifs and layered scarves evoked a fan-meets-fashion aesthetic. Soccer-style sets were asymmetrical, and veiled accessories added a darker undertone.
Notably, a look featuring sheer tights echoed Morikawa’s work for Hummel 00, where he now serves as creative director. Though the brands are distinct, their shared DNA emerged in details like hybrid hoodies and muted palettes.
Footwear and eyewear grounded the eclecticism. Collabs with Ayame (fine-rimmed glasses) and the sharp silhouettes of pointed shoes balanced casual pieces with a sharper edge. The show culminated with a dress made in collaboration with Reebok—a voluminous white tulle gown printed with the brand’s logo. It stood as a bold statement on hybridization, both elegant and confrontational.
The runway soundtrack, a live rendition of Sigur Rós’ “Popplagið,” tied past and present together. The song, used in Morikawa’s first show, marked a reflective moment. As he noted post-show, “I’m starting to see parts of myself that are different from before.”
This season, BASICKS reaffirmed its core ethos: questioning what’s basic by adding just enough unease. The result wasn’t nostalgia or rebellion for its own sake—but a kind of restless experimentation, grounded in form and function, that resists categorization.
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