things to keep people warm in winter—great patch-worked cable-knit sweaters and cardigans included.
There’s always a strong thread of whimsy and romance in Watanabe’s collections, too. When he does a tailored jacket and skirt suit, there’s a net petticoat exploding from the hem. Using narrow ribbon-like strips of chiffon, lace, and fake fur, he made an amazing floor-length dress that poured over the model’s shoulders from a tiny pie-frill collar. That’s how the Watanabe woman will go out in the evening. It’s safe to say that onlookers will stare at her in awe, trying to guess who made such an incredible thing. Also safe to predict that some might assume: It’s the work of a Paris couturier. Watanabe’s work is in that class.