Tatsuya Tamada is thinking about power.
“The main thing I wanted to do with this collection was to give people a better understanding of the Tamme brand,” said the designer during a showroom walkthrough in Tokyo. “So far, my design sources have been military and military-style items, military clothing, and formal wear. In other words, uniforms.”
Tamada’s obsession with uniforms goes back to his childhood. His father was a policeman, and when his father came home from fighting crime on the streets of Fukushima, the little boy would marvel at the black boots and baby blue work shirts, and wonder how discipline could be baked into the fabric. “His appearance represented a virtuous person. Looking back, I think that’s probably why he’s cool,” Tamada said.
He put his technical fluency to work, using the pattern-cutting skills he honed at Sacai with a collection of subversive, military-cut uniforms that were still suitable for everyday wear. Ribbed cricket sweaters were detailed in V-necks with contrasting cable knit, with a center navy zip pull, while grungy cargo jackets were given the protective orange lining of MA1s, and what appeared to be an indigo trench coat was really a jacket layered over a tough-as-nails skate wrap. The best was a spin on Japanese police boots with geometric soles and silver front zips, created in collaboration with Kids Love Gate, one of fashion’s quirkiest footwear labels.
More casual references came through in grungy checked shirts, paired with Tame’s signature loose neckties. Meanwhile, tailoring was cut with peaked lapels and billowy trousers that threw some disco into the mix. The result is half teenage rebellion, half SWAT team rampage, like a salaryman ready to party. “By breaking up, changing or changing the uniform, you can create your own individuality,” he said. “I gave each piece its own will, with the idea that they can be worn and used completely independently.”
In the context of our current moment—when the uniform and the authority behind it are especially threatened—there’s room for Tamada to further build on Tamme’s universe. His designs are convincing and thought-provoking, but the world around them is ephemeral. As any evil dictator or hopeful hero knows, the clothes themselves can only get you so far.
