Designer Yoon Ahn, whose prodigious output includes her label AMBUSH and creating the jewellery for Dior Men under Kim Jones, has been at home in Japan for the past year. In between remotely masterminding her collections, Yoon, like many people, has been discovering the country she lives in, and the natural splendour just a short trip from Tokyo. We all watched with pleasure as nature ‘healed’ in our absence — just as profound had been nature’s healing effect on us. From her SS22 collection, Yoon took her distinctly city-based house in a new direction; outside.
In the wilderness, Yoon found a host of inspirations. For the designer’s new WKSP (workshop) technical line, water and sunshine gave rise to the colours, while graphic designer Hagihara Takuya designed nature-inspired prints for the loose silhouettes. These are the colours you might see on a particularly vivid trip while camping. That psychedelic inspiration is even more apparent in the artisanal lines, which marries couture techniques to wearability. Knit dresses are designed to look like feathers, or flowers, hand-appliquéd flowers and Swarovski crystals hiding among the fronds.
AMBUSH, however, is already known for its wearable staples and tailoring — the wardrobe worn by Yoon every day. Natural fabrics like cotton and linen are mixed with washed nylon, in more earthy tones than the rest of the season, like dark grey and cream. More traditional Japanese silhouettes collide with relaxed tailoring, resulting in hybrid looks of belted blazers, cropped tops and leather vests. Spilling out from this more sober look is AMBUSH jewellery; jewels were what Yoon started her design journey with and where the house’s playful side is most on show. Butterflies, hearts and flowers in glass and sparkling crystal reflect the joy and freedom the designer found while on her country escapes, and the naive state we’re returned to once immersed in the wilderness. Even AMBUSH, the quintessential Tokyo label, is growing roots outside the city.
