Putting aside his familiar playbook of patchworks and utility outerwear, Junya Watanabe switched gears with wall-to-wall dinner jackets in damasks and 18th-century wallpaper motifs, done his way – with a sly punk undercurrent.

They were cut short and slim, abraded here and there, their formal associations further blunted by pairing them with flared pants or cool jeans – and putting the clothes on models with mullet haircuts and prominent chest tattoos, their eyes shielded behind New Wave sunglasses.

This confident, breezy show held your attention and also cycled through long, off-kilter tuxedo shirts; knitwear stamped with famous paintings by Edvard Munch and Elizabeth Peyton; grandpa sweaters festooned with dairy cows or Basset hounds, and striking overcoats and jeans jackets bearing tapestry-like depictions of famous Italian cities.

In press notes emailed after the show, Watanabe said he revisited his fall 2004 collection, which hinged on tailored suits made with upholstery fabrics he found in flea markets.

“This time, I took interest in something that is old but feels new, or something new that is born in the process of reproducing old things,” he said.

Shunning black for a change, Watanabe proved himself a capable colorist, pairing anise green with mustard, shaping up as the color combo of spring 2026; experimenting with vibrant shades like orange, and matching the candy-floss mullet of one model to his burgundy jacquard overshirt.

The pants were cut for swagger, especially the low-slung ’70s flares, and his straight-cut jeans always hit the mark.

While oversized clothes have been the norm this European season, Watanabe favored slimmer shapes, which are looking fresh again.