Fumito Ganryu was explaining elements of his two collections—the mainline and his newer Red offering—by video call from Tokyo, while the pieces filled a number of racks in a Paris showroom. Red comprises an extroverted palette—from its titular fire-engine hue to pylon orange, deep burgundy, and frosty shades of blue—whereas the main line exists in a more limited range of cosmopolitan neutrals. Then there are the cuts; a collaboration with Dickies yielded a cotton workwear jacket within Red that is cropped and youthful, whereas the main line version could easily be worn by a cool dad resisting middle-age.
In the main line, he uses crisp cotton from the established shirtmaker Thomas Mason and includes the Limonta label on technical pants—as though proving that he doesn’t skimp on sourcing. Even the hardware on two MA-1 bomber jackets deviates, with gold zipper pulls adding a jewelry-like flourish to one versus standard finishes to the other.
Through a translator, Ganryu noted how, for all these surface variances, the collections are conceptually different, as well. He considers his main line as logic leading to emotion whereas Red embodies emotions leading to logic. According to this inversion, the former represents his fundamental design ideas; the latter arises from what he wants to wear.
Surely, all this info isn’t necessary to appreciate the experimental construction of the classic stripe shirts, fine mohair sweaters, cargo pants with offset pockets, or the down coats as voluminous as duvets; regardless of their line, they are well-considered, more distinctive versions of wardrobe standbys. Ditto the mountain fleece zip-ups, which are apparently a brand best-seller. His signature hidden zippers and stylistic arm slits featured across many of the tops and jackets. And ultimately, he noted how the two lines converge and reflect a single vision—his own.
Overall, the season’s range offered intriguing proposals on the basics and it’s easy to see how the brand maintains a following despite keeping a low profile. For a visibility boost, there’s Ganryu’s fresh spin on the Puma GV Special with its sloping sole and dial disc that keeps the wiry laces in place. “I enjoy understanding the heritage of other brands, studying their ideas and how to rethink them,” he said.