Daisuke Obana went on safari for his spring collection. But rather than designing a collection only for the bush, he created a lineup that would work just as well in a bustling city.
The impetus for N. Hoolywood’s Compile collection was creative director Obana’s first trip to South Africa — a visit that had a profound effect on him.
“Africa was very different from what I had imagined,” he said. “It was a comfortable, livable, and highly developed metropolitan place, which was a real surprise. That’s why instead of creating a typical ‘safari look,’ I focused on designs that blended safari details into urban activewear and fabrics.”
This morphing of “formal and dresswear into contemporary, easy clothing,” showed up in updated versions of safari jackets and workwear-inspired pieces in functional fabrics updated with classic details. Wide-leg pants, flowy shorts, vests and tank tops in both solids and prints complemented the double-breasted blazers paired with shorts to soften the look. There were also jeans and denim jackets as well as a green plaid coat that blended into the African grasses.
In addition to solid khaki and white tones, Obana included a couple of eye-catching graphic prints reminiscent of paw marks and zebra stripes that provided a pop to the overall offering.
“We created designs centered on fabrics inspired by African textiles, original prints applied to the latest synthetic materials, and camouflage patterns made from animal motifs, all fused with sportswear cuts,” he explained. “These elements were also strongly incorporated into tailoring, which is another key point this season.”
Even though it’s been nearly 25 years since Obana created N. Hoolywood, the Tokyo-based designer proved once again that he’s still a master at re-interpreting classic American fashion with a distinctly Japanese twist.