Fashion Surrealism
From Balenciaga’s Neanderthal-era-adjacent barefoot shoes to Prada’s illusion belt suit trousers, designers are pushing the abstract boundaries of modern fashion to their limits. With advancements in manufacturing technology and the increasingly self-referential nature of pop culture, brands have swiftly embraced the surreal and the bizarre in their collections. No brand exemplifies this more than the Japanese label Doublet, helmed by its enigmatic founder, Masayuki Ino. Founded in 2012 and awarded the prestigious LVMH Prize in 2018, Doublet has made it its mission to challenge conventional fashion norms by infusing a sense of strangeness into everyday wear.
Doublet’s designs range from the intriguingly playful to the unsettlingly avant-garde. The brand has released vacuum-sealed garments packaged to resemble wagyu steaks in supermarket wrapping, as well as T-shirts with Polaroids stitched onto them that reveal hidden images of random Japanese pop idols when photographed with a flash. These creations blur the lines between clothing and conceptual art, transforming mundane garments into conversation pieces.
Beyond these experimental designs, Doublet actively engages with pop culture and fashion trends, offering satirical takes on luxury staples. Their reinterpretation of Hermès’ iconic Birkin bag, for instance, incorporates elements of K-pop culture, kawaii fashion, and consumerist aesthetics, presented through Doublet’s signature surrealist lens. By fusing humor, nostalgia, and cultural commentary, the brand continues to redefine the boundaries of contemporary fashion, proving that clothing can be both wearable and thought-provoking.
This utilization of the theme of surrealism and illusion in fashion is not unique to Doublet, however, as brands such as Prada, under Raf Simons' direction, have frequently explored themes of visual deception to convey deeper perspectives on self reflection. For example, his SS25 collection presented the theme of self-reflection and the deceptive, sometimes rose-tinted, recollection of memories. This was achieved through printed sunglass lenses that displayed an idealized snapshot of summer and garments that appeared to meld together, mirroring the way memories can blur details. Belts seamlessly combined with pant seams, and shirts and jumpers fused into one, creating a dreamlike distortion of familiar silhouettes.
The question is: how do you feel about incorporating surrealism and illusion into your outfits? Are these products wearable art, or simply head-turning statement pieces?
