Tatsuya Tamada has been 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. “Up until now, my design sources have been military and army-style items, military clothing, and formalwear. Uniforms, in other words.”
Tamada’s obsession with uniform goes back to his childhood. His father was a policeman, and when his dad came home from fighting crime on the streets of Fukushima, the little boy would marvel at the stompy black boots and baby blue work shirts, and wonder at how discipline could be baked into fabric. “His appearance represented a righteous person. Looking back, I think that was probably what made me think he was cool,” said Tamada.
He put his technical fluency to work, using the pattern cutting skills he refined at Sacai with a collection of subversive, military-spliced uniforms that were still apt for everyday wear. Ribbed cricket sweaters were detailed with contrasting cable knit at the V-neck, which had a navy zip-pull in the center, while greige cargo jackets were given the safety-orange lining of MA1s, and what appeared to be an indigo trench coat was really a jacket layered over a tough-yet-elegant wrap skirt. Best was the spin on Japanese police boots with geometric soles and silver front zips, made in collaboration with Kids Love Gaite, fashion’s wackiest footwear label.
More casual references came through in the grungy checked shirts, paired with Tamme’s signature loose neckties. Tailoring, meanwhile, was cut with bodacious peak lapels and billowy trousers that put some disco in the mix. The result was half teenage rebellion, half SWAT team swagger, by way of a party-ready salaryman. “By breaking down, substituting, or changing a uniform, you can create your own individuality,” he said. “I’ve given each piece its own will, with the idea that they can be worn and used completely freely.”
In the context of our current moment—when uniform and the authority behind it is particularly threatening—there is room for Tamada to build out more of Tamme’s universe. His designs are convincing and thoughtful, but the world around them remains tentative. As any wicked despot or hopeful hero knows, clothes by themselves can only get you so far.
