Loro Piana's First Ever Collab Is With The Godfather Of Streetwear
Hiroshi Fujiwara, the man behind Fragment Design, brings a personal eye and touch to the stately cashmere brand's designs.
It's a brave new world. Loro Piana, a brand known for making clothes out of the finest, most exclusive fabrics for the stealth wealth crowd, is getting in on the hype game for the first time ever with a collaboration.
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And its partner of choice packs serious punch: Hiroshi Fujiwara, the founder of Fragment Design who's even been nicknamed the godfather of streetwear. You've probably also seen Fujiwara and the Fragment name splashed around a lot recently – the Japanese designer is one of the hottest names that luxury brands are tapping these days.
The capsule collection features a re-designed version of the Loro Piana logo, that comes splashed across the backs of T-shirts as well as more subtly worked into other ready-to-wear pieces.
In Loro Piana's debut collaboration, the century-old brand seems to be making a play at updating its noble fabrics – the finest cashmeres, vicunas and wools – with a touch of streetwear's edge. To wit, the brand describes the capsule collection in a release as "streetwear style meets the fine fabrics and essential elegance of Loro Piana."
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What that means is a collection of Loro Piana's stately and understated styles crossed with Fujiwara's more relaxed, contemporary eye. Working with the brand, the Japanese designer said, "was really exciting, cool and fun". It's also interesting for being the first project that Fujiwara has worked on using his name instead of, say, Fragment's. Think of it as a more personal contribution by one of the most influential figures in streetwear culture.
This outing sees the finest cashmeres, vicunas and wools – given a touch of streetwear edge.
Hallmarks of casual streetwear are given a truly luxurious edge in this capsule. Think reversible jackets made from Super 150s wool and nylon, to bomber jackets cut from cashmere with an added hood, and even workwear-styled cotton jackets made from Loro Piana's waterproof and wind-resistant Storm System fabric treatment.
The most distinct graphics are perhaps the Tsunaghi chain-link pattern, a Japanese motif of happiness and connection that's found on cashmere sweaters and skirts, as well as a tongue-in-cheek print of a goat that is the source of the very rare and plush vicuna wool.
Below, a look at some of the key pieces from the Loro Piana x Hiroshi Fujiwara capsule collection.
The Japanese Tsunaghi chain-link pattern has a cultural symbolic meaning of happiness and interaction. In this collection, it's meant as a bond and connection between Japanese and Italian style.
The lightly-distressed look of this sweater gives the precious baby cashmere fabric a more off-hand look.
Cut in a slim fit, this jacket combines layers of cotton and microfibre to achieve Loro Piana's proprietary wind-resistant and waterproof Storm System finish. The Fujiwara touch: an inversion of standard fabric use, by placing jersey on the exterior and microfibre in the lining.
Even though it's crafted from a material as fine as baby cashmere, the Storm System treatment gives this parka a practical edge. It's also got heat-sealed seams for a futuristic look, and a contrasting silk lining with a print that indicates the fabrics used in this piece.
A cozy cashmere scarf, finished with hand-knotted fringes.
Fujiwara's capsule collection with the Italian luxury brand is designed to be unisex. Case in point: this flared, above-the-knee skirt that can be worn by any gender.
This reversible jacket perhaps best represents the meeting of two worlds in this collaboration. On one side, a Tasmanian wool jacket cut in a classic three-button single-breasted blazer; and on the other, a nylon military-inspired bomber jacket with a wool collar.
Press notes mention that this collaboration combines function with soft, cosy fabrics. A good example are these cashmere socks, which feature the reinterpreted Loro Piana logo on the back.
One of the key styles in this capsule, this cross between a hoodie and bomber jacket is cut from cashmere and features wide cuffs that can be turned back, as well as actual shoelaces for drawstrings.
The goat on this T-shirt is the Capra hircus, which as the source of cashmere represents both Loro Piana's artisan approach and its commitment to preserving these animals and their habitats. The print is off-set with gold lamé and a large rendering of the grafitti-style logo created by Fujiwara on the back.
Same as the above, except this time the animal is the vicuna goat from which the very rare and precious wool of the same name is obtained.
A simple ribbed knit beanie, this features the distinctive new "LORO P" logo created in collaboration with Fujiwara for this collection.