orSlow is the Japanese label beloved of the fashion world for its determinedly meticulous approach to reimagining high quality workwear.
First glimpses of orSlow's AW15 collection show, happily for the brand's devoted band of fans, no deviation from this measured road. Change is not what orSlow is about, but rather a careful evolution of designer Ichiro Nakatsu's singular vision.
The result is an intricately detailed range of pieces designed not just for AW15, but for every "AW" beyond. Jackets are inspired by vintage workwear pieces and orSlow's signature heavy denim features in shirts, jeans and jackets.
Cardigans are baseball-inspired, jeans are classically cut and the entire collection has orSlow's signature lived-in look.
This preview of the collection is presented multi-layered and a little crumpled as if the models are off to a chilly but particularly hip building site, where the coffee is both organic and single estate.
It's easy enough to mock orSlow's approach, and yet the authenticity is beyond reproach.
And that's because orSlow founder and designer Nakatsu looks backward in order to look forward. A self-confessed fashion hoarder, his interest in vintage pieces began when his mother gave him a pair of denim overalls some 35 years ago.
When he founded his label ten years ago that pair of overalls informed what he set out to do, because Nakatsu still rummages about, both literally and metaphorically, in the past to present the future.
