Fresh from a V&A exhibition in London, Japanese designer Ryunosuke Okazaki showcased his Tokyo Fall 2026 collection on the runway. The show featured extraordinary exoskeletons that blend armor-like spikes with human tenderness, marking his first foray into ready-to-wear pieces.
Ryunosuke Okazaki, who grew up in Hiroshima, presented his Tokyo Fall 2026 collection shortly after an exhibition of his work at London’s V&A museum. Witnessed live on the runway and worn by models, his artist-designer exoskeletons displayed visceral, androgynous grandeur. Sweeping curves and spikes evoked armor yet conveyed tenderness, with alien joints exposing the fragility of the human form beneath. The designs interacted uniquely with the body, as models’ limbs curved or wrapped to integrate with the sculptures—transcending mere wearing. Okazaki has shifted toward more wearable items, building on prior bags and shoes. This season introduced ready-to-wear, including a green turtleneck sweater with removable shoulder boning and a tube dress with a scythe-like torso shape. New prints incorporated python and leopard, referencing animism and nature worship, alongside tweed and pinstripes evoking traditional fabrics. A floral pattern, initially unappealing to Okazaki, became a favorite. “It felt somewhat nostalgic, like the pattern on my grandmother’s futon,” he said. “There’s something very human about [florals], like a person trying to print nature onto something.” He added, “When I actually made it, it became one of my favorite pieces from this collection, and I felt that hatred could transform into life and then into love.” Okazaki describes his work as a prayer for peace. This season’s body-focused approach deepened this theme: “It’s like I moved from a transcendent, conceptual idea of prayer to something more personal; a prayer inherent in everyday life, as a way of getting closer to people.” The soundtrack shifted from dark and foreboding to meditative, inspired by the Japanese idiom ‘kidoairaku’—joy, anger, sadness, and pleasure. “I want to be honest about what I create,” Okazaki said. “And my expression, stemming from a prayer for peace, remains constant whether in fashion or art.”
