For Autumn/Winter 2026, Junya Watanabe found extraordinary possibilities in ordinary objects. “The Art of Assemblage Couture,” the sentence accompanying the show invitation, set the tone for a collection that transformed protective gear, motorcycle accessories and household paraphernalia into sculptural fashion.
Against a pared-back Parisian salon setting, Irina Shayk opened in a dramatic gown constructed from protective equipment, gloves and metallic mesh. It introduced Watanabe’s central proposition: materials rarely considered precious could become something worthy of couture.
A punk sensibility connected the collection. Black leather, biker boots and gloves were reassembled into dresses that challenged the original purpose of their components. What appeared to be a motorcycle windscreen became a wing-like capelet, turning functional protection into theatrical ornament. Elsewhere, familiar kitchen and bathroom objects took on unfamiliar forms, before increasingly vibrant looks brought a cabaret-like energy to the runway.
Beneath the spectacle was an appreciation for the overlooked. Rather than simply repurposing discarded objects, Watanabe reconsidered their possibilities, finding new silhouettes and unexpected beauty in their existing shapes.
One look carried the message “May Peace Prevail in the World.” Amid the collection’s complex constructions, the sentiment was direct: a simple appeal for peace, delivered through clothes that asked us to see familiar things differently.