ANREALAGE – A LIGHT UN LIGHT

Contemporary fashion in Japan is the new facet to be revealed by JAPAN HOUSE São Paulo, which embarks in the fashion world with the A LIGHT UN LIGHT exhibit, from November 6 to January 6.

Aiming to awaken the audience to the clothing of the future, the exhibit presents items created by the Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga who, in a perfect combination of high technology and inspirations in simple elements or minor details, surprises because of the innovation in his creations. 

Recognized for his visionary creativity, Morinaga captures the subtlety of everyday life, often imperceptible, to create the design of the Japanese brand ANREALAGE, of which he is the founder. The designer bases himself on the industry’s continuous innovations and on technical quality to develop pieces that evade the standard silhouette, to introduce new formats, and value different technological concepts, proposing a reevaluation of how the fashion of the future is seen, dressed, and conceived.

A LIGHT UN LIGHT comes to expand this proposal, highlighting pieces from six collections of the brand that have already been showcased in the Paris fashion weeks: Shadow (2015), Light (2015), Reflect (2016), Prism (2018), Power (2018), and Clear (2019), which will be located on the second floor of the cultural center. The Brazilian audience will have the chance to see, up close, a retrospective of ANREALAGE and clothes with the light theme, which reveal new ways of seeing and using materials, employing everything from illusion techniques to new photosensitive fabric technologies.

To complement the A LIGHT UN LIGHT proposal, JAPAN HOUSE São Paulo will hold, on November 6, at 7 pm, a special lecture with the designer Kunihiko Morinaga, who will present the main concepts of the exhibit and give an overview of the brand and of the role fashion technology plays. Learn more here.

Morinaga’s declared fascination with the brightness of light underpins this important line in his work. “In the fashion market, light is considered a detriment to clothing; it causes discoloration and deterioration. For this project, I thoroughly investigated the mixture between light and fabric. As a result, I realized how design can be valued and the phenomenal beauty there is between the two”, he says. The brand’s latest collections (2011-2018) appropriated technologies such as the photochromic dye, retro reflections, and augmented reality as new ways to enhance the everyday experience of fashion.

“The innovation in Morinaga’s work is amazing, whether from the fashion or from the technology point of view. We note a fashion of extreme technical and aesthetic sophistication, permeated by the typically Japanese delicacy and perfection. Meanwhile, we note how technological advances are incorporated into each collection, resulting in extremely bold and original, yet perfectly wearable pieces. Bringing all these elements together in this exhibit further reinforces our mission to present multiple perspectives on contemporary Japan”, says JAPAN HOUSE São Paulo Cultural Director Natasha Barzaghi Geenen. 

More than just to showcase his works and experiments, the exhibit hopes to address a new perception of reality through the pieces. Based on the brand name, which is a combination of the expressions UN (unreal), REAL and AGE, the designer invites the audience to reinterpret the concept of innovation: Instead of simply making new clothes, the brand’s work reflects upon clothes-making in different ways.

Established in 2003, ANREALAGE debuted at the 2014 Paris Fashion Week with the Shadow collection. Morinaga’s most current projects include the creation of a watch for the Swiss brand RADO, in partnership with the Kaleidoscope Collection, with the shoe manufacturer ASICS, in addition to constant collaborations with Apple, Panasonic, BMW, Sony, Google, and Amazon.

A LIGHT UN LIGHT is an exhibit organized by JAPAN HOUSE São Paulo, ANREALAGE, and PARCO CO. LTD. The interactive design is by Rhizomatiks Research, sound direction by NF, and sponsorship by First Penguin.

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ANREALAGE – A LIGHT UN LIGHT
JAPAN HOUSE São Paulo – Avenida Paulista, 52 (Second floor)
November 6 to January 6, 2019
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 10 pm
Sundays and public holidays: 10 am to 6 pm
Free admission
Check out the program at www.facebook.com/JapanHouseSP/