After his first-ever runway show at Pitti Uomo in January, Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata was excited by the format and so staged his Milan runway debut on Friday.

His transformative, functional fashions – largely relying on tailoring and utilitarian pieces morphing shape and fit via a profuse use of zippers, snap buttons and buttons – was refreshed with crafty flourishes for the occasion. Some charming, some too gimmicky, sculpted bodices and skirts, as well as wide-brimmed hats and baskets, accessorized Kuwata’s looks.

The wavy, palm-weaving technique that informed these pieces was a central theme, as it both expressed Kuwata’s penchant for building bridges between cultures and nodded to the starting point of his creative process – a recent trip to Victoria Falls, in Zimbabwe. 

An avid fisherman, the 2023 LVMH Prize for Young Designers winner might originally have planned his journey to chase tiger fish, but he ended up catching much more. Kuwata had the opportunity to collaborate with local tribes, discovering their craft and creating the woven pieces, also thanks to a little help from LVMH Métiers d’Art, which supports local craftsmanship through initiatives such as the Jafuta Foudation and Batoka Creatives. 

“[The technique] is based on how the weaver feels in that second, not an order you follow, so they make a unique organic shape,” said Kuwata, underscoring the affinity with a practice in his homeland, too. Overall, he said that observing Zimbabwe’s natural landscape and local culture “especially the way people instinctively mold and wrap clothing around the body, sparked new ideas about primal dressing. The pureness of intent and the timelessness of these gestures are what tie Africa and Japan together.”

He channeled that instinctive approach in the lineup via tops and shirts with sleeves wrapped around the neckline to create a draped effect or way-too-oversized denim and cargo pants held only by a thin strap in hanging low on the hips. 

He addressed the colors and misty mood of the falls and nature with transparencies, lightweight dresses and flimsy little frocks, and these looks – mainly women’s – were seen alongside his take on utility and sartorial constructions. A series of field jackets featuring handles in the collar and enabling wearers to carry them as totes was among the highlights of the collection.

“I like the idea of something timeless, yet you can enjoy every time you transform into something,” said Kuwata. “I’m not famous, I think I can do whatever I want. Not many people know exactly what I am, so I’m just trying to be who I am.”