For his Autumn/Winter 2017 collection, Japanese designer and protegé of the inimitable force of nature Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe explored themes of deconstruction and reconstruction imbued with flashes of 90s nightlife nostalgia. This exploration most notably took the form of an unexpected collaboration with heritage mountaineering outfit, The North Face.

Watanabe pays homage to the rugged functionality of The North Face’s duffle bags by repurposing elements to create a range of menswear which has one foot planted in tech-sportswear and the other planted in fashion-forward design. Far from a seasonal fad or marketing trope, Watanabe makes wise use of collaborations each season.

In forging partnerships with the best speciality brands, ranging from Levis for denim to Barbour for waxed jackets, Watanabe establishes a stamp of authority and unbeatable quality on each new collection. Tapping into this season’s penchant for 90s nostalgia, The North Face collaboration was one of the best combinations of function/fashion brands thus far.

This unusual pairing speaks to the recent proclivity among streetwear enthusiasts to mix brands and labels from different market positions, disrupting the status quo and defining a new blue-print for urban dressing. Bountiful in both form and function, the Junya Watanabe x The North Face collaboration brings us some of the best outerwear seen this season.

The Junya Watanabe x The North Face collection is now available online at EndClothing.com.

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