At the center of Hanako Maeda's Adeam is the relationship between Eastern and Western cultures: Maeda is originally from Japan but has spent a significant amount of time in New York City. “A cultural discourse between different cultures,” she called it.
The many nuances of cultural exchange take her to a different place: baked goods, specifically French and Japanese pastries. “It came into its own in the last two centuries after French pastries came to Japan,” she explained, adding that Japanese sweets aren't just sweets; in fact, they counteract the sugar with a bitter element. The place where these two elements meet is where Maeda started.
The color palette started with a monochrome range of dusty pink and cream. Her first looks included a structured jacket paired with a tulle skirt, a cropped sweater over a sheer tulle skirt, a shrunken jacket with high-waisted pants: sweet yes, but not too cloying. She contrasted them with a section of black and gray looks, doubling down on skin-exposing sweaters paired with a high-waisted black skirt, romantic with a bit of polished edge, like a millefeuille with matcha cream.
The fabric combinations played even more with the theme. A knit torso top with tulle sleeves, a ponte sweatshirt bodice dress featured a delicate tulle skirt, and translucency was explored by layering tulle over sheer polka dot chiffon. She rocked arm warmers, platform shoes and tulle scarves, little touches that bridged the line between sweet and sour.
“Just as the bitterness of burnt caramel adds complexity to Japanese custard pudding,” her show notes read, “the unsentimental color palette, anchored in black and gray, grounds the collection with a sophisticated touch, balancing sweetness. “Fantasy with a touch of mystery and depth.”
