Noir Kei Ninomiya RTW Fall 2023 – WWD

Prismatic beams of light heralded the start of the Noir Kei Ninomiya show, followed by a shimmering, quivering cocoon of holographic blooms bursting from a pink and purple body.

Then came looks that were bouquets of pom-poms, bushels of puffy purple flowers held up by a thorny web, bouquets of naïve five-petal shapes. Even metal chains seemed to sprout new life from fluffy purple or red threads woven through them. There were all kinds of nets and knots as accents or full garments depending on the size.

After that, there was a lot of guesswork floating around backstage as to what it all meant; from neural networks and mycelium to connections and meshes, but the designer didn’t bite. So far, so Noir.

Ninomiya was keen to highlight the interplay between ceramic artist Takuro Kuwata’s headpieces, Ryu Miyazaki’s hair and Japanese makeup artist Amazing Jiro’s special effects makeup. The shoes of the season marked his first collaboration with French brand Repetto.

What he explained backstage was that in his usual process of experimentation he had created thriving forms to open his mind to “new worlds, new concepts, new things”. His preoccupation has always been the new, but this time he’s focused on things he’s never done before – vivid colors, for example.

It wasn’t the first time he’d featured other hues, but here black felt more like an accent than a narrative thread.

The range also offered an unusual amount of knitwear for the brand, particularly on the more wearable end of the spectrum. These, including great blousons, mesh dresses and a fringed pink blanket jacket with matching skirt, have also held their own alongside more spectacular, sculptural designs.

Overall, it was “not very noir,” one editor noted. “Thank you,” was Ninomiya’s reply.