Looking over LONGJOURNEY's S/S 16 collection yesterday, cofounder Alex Carapetian tells me that it takes a lot of inspiration from the film Empire Of The Sun. Much of the movie centers on the planes flown during World War II and considering that a bulk of LJ's materials are reclaimed military pieces from vintage warehouses and flea markets, the connection makes sense. While LJ's F/W 15 collection featured a bunch of pieces that were stiffer and heavier, often coated in a thick resin, S/S 16 takes things delightfully light. Most of the pieces are translucent—an effect created by using thin nylon parachute material—colors are lighter, featuring more white, yellow, grey and a new "dirty" pink. The materials are the story and unfortunately, you don't see it all here because the photos do no justice. There are soft ozone-dyed pieces, silk that feels nothing like silk, garments that had all the color drained by repeated washing and indigo dyeing done in gradual steps from light to dark. Every piece with drawstrings or pockets uses features source item. That means original military drawcords, actual knife pockets on the jackets and identifying prints that differ from piece to piece. The long cardigan in slide 22 is mostly silk, but feels more like non-itchy wool, has no buttons and fastens together with a thin belt. It's incredible. The gear is so good you'll feel like you're flying.
