Elegant, Nonchalant Chaos: Reviewing ssstein FW26
From seeing past collections through a screen to experiencing it in person — a review of ssstein’s FW26 collection, plus early access to Greg Laboratory via Wallace Mercantile.
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A Quick Word
I’m someone who always gets weird when talking about personal achievements. I’ve got a terrible habit of downplaying things that probably deserve to be celebrated. But this time, I’m not doing that. It’s been a very eventful week, and I’d like to chat about it.
Aside from my trip to Mexico City, my first article for Highsnobiety titled Welcome to the Summer of Big Shorts went live on Tuesday covering — you guessed it — big shorts. It was met with over 600+ negative comments, ranging from “all these fits are trash” to “embrace your hoochie daddy.” While the latter is valid, it was a beautiful sight watching 600+ people collectively shit on one post, joining arms and denouncing big shorts together.
(If you scroll through their feed, it’s one of their most engaged posts in a minute. My work here is done. But not really, please hire me again.)
On top of that, I had the chance to speak with Jacob Gallagher of The New York Times about the whole “Made in Japan” wave in menswear, and why we’re all currently hot and heavy for Japanese designers. It was only one sentence, but I’m absolutely still counting it as a win. Plus, I was in great company alongside David Marx, writer of Ametora; Jeremy Kirkland, host of the Blamo! podcast; Saager Dilawri, the mastermind behind Neighbour; and Christopher Green, the man behind Ven Space.
To think that I started this newsletter, immediately assuming no one would take this seriously, expecting little-to-no audience, and now I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to showrooms, runways, and having conversations with people I respect in this space. It’s surreal, but I am proud of myself, even if I’ve got a heavy case of imposter syndrome.
All in all, thank you for subscribing, for believing in me, and for indulging in all of this. It means more than I probably let on. Seriously, thank you.
On with the show. This one’s a long one, so buckle up.
ssstein FW26
(Note: I’ve been holding off on talking about this until things simmered down a bit, didn’t want my pieces mixed in with everyone else’s during men’s week.)
Of all the shows, appointments, and events I had lined up that week, there was one that had me genuinely nervous. The kind of nervous that sits in your chest, like when you’ve got an exam the next morning that could make or break your year, or a date with someone you’ve been trying to impress for weeks.
This, for obvious reasons, didn’t carry those same stakes. But for me, it felt just as big.
Kartik’s show may have technically been my first runway presentation, but Kiichiro Asakawa’s FW26 showing for ssstein was the one that had my teeth chattering. Not out of cold, but from anticipation. Seeing one of my favourite brands, one I could dedicate my entire wardrobe to, in a room filled with writers I admire, like Jacob Gallagher, Ashley Ogawa Clarke, and Louis Cheslaw, felt validating.
Here I am, a lowly Substack writer with a mostly coherent newsletter full of yaps, sitting in this space, about to see what Asakawa had been working on for FW26. It was a special feeling. The presentation took place at the Conservatoire National des Arts & Métiers, a space that felt perfectly aligned with ssstein’s world — quiet, gentle, romantic, but with a bit of edge.
I found my seat, exchanged a few pleasantries, and settled in. Then the show began. We’re seeing someone creating with an ever-growing confidence each season.
The Oversized Layered Combination Coat returns, now tweaked with an almost villainous leather collar, something that borders on nightmare-inducing. New versions of the Vintage Zip Jacket appear as well: one in a faded grey corduroy, another in a classic khaki, finished with a black sheep leather collar.
The spectrum of colour across the collection left me with this strange, fuzzy feeling. It swings from genuinely intimidating — like the black, textured sheep-leather jacket — to this Easter-friendly look: an emerald green cashmere sweater over a buttery-yellow, almost-sheer overshirt, paired with off-white trousers that I would 100% stain within five minutes of wearing them.
See, I have this thing where I immediately stain whatever new purchase I’m wearing. My friends and girlfriend can attest to that.
What Asakawa does wonderfully is stay within this rhythm, never really straying for shock value or attention. It’s easy on the eyes, very complementary, yet some looks still feel slightly jarring, in a subtle, digestible way. Look 20, for example, features a brown wool belted overcoat, fuzzy moss-green sweater, mint-coloured overshirt, and grey slacks. A combination that feels slightly off on paper, but lands perfectly in motion.
As always, it’s the styling that leaves me stunned.
Layered tank tops. A reinterpreted cherry-red Harrington thrown over a dark-brown wool blazer, paired with a full-zip textured sweater. An emerald-green cashmere V-neck layered over a grey cashmere knit. Trousers that drape and sway in a way that feels almost hypnotic with each step. We even see this Andy Kaufman-esque, Mighty Mouse fit — a black turtleneck under a classic blue button-down, tweed overcoat, their deformation wide jeans, and brown loafers.
Shotaro Yamaguchi, the stylist behind it all, deserves their flowers. His work offers a glimpse into ssstein’s full range, transforming everyday garments, like a cashmere sweater or a cotton tank, into something that feels slightly surreal. We’re seeing more brands attempt to replicate Shotaro’s formula, but it rarely hits as hard as they think.
Shotaro’s method? A layered mess, in the best way possible, done in a way that feels almost effortless. The term I’d use for it, especially with the more layered, textured fits: nonchalant chaos. Someone who just throws whatever on and calls it a wrap once it feels right.
No overthinking, just instinct.
With almost a decade in the game, Kiichiro Asakawa has brought ssstein up there as one of the few presentations writers, creators, and designers look forward to seeing. Each collection feels like a natural continuation of the last, with new elements and subtle twists that keep you on your toes, wanting to pick up every piece with money you don’t have (or do, maybe you’re loaded, idk).
Why I Like This Brand
From what I’ve gathered online, you don’t want another Auralee mention, or anything adjacent. However, I’m gonna have to bring them up, whether you like it or not, pal.
With Auralee, there’s a lighthearted airiness to their collections that can lift anyone’s spirit, even though their FW26 offering leaned darker at times, almost the antithesis of what you’d expect from them. As much as I love Auralee though, their sizing isn’t always the most inclusive.
For example, I tried on their Cotton/Silk Gradient Stripe Sweater at Neighbour. It was a spontaneous try-on. I saw it folded on the table, the colours spoke to me, the fabric felt incredible. I asked for a five, threw it on, and like a 90s Mike Tyson punch to the gut, a wave of body dysmorphia hit me. You’d think the five would fit, but instead I looked like an overstuffed sausage. Still delicious, but fighting for its life.
With ssstein, I almost see them as Auralee’s more relaxed, slightly edgier relative. The one that listens to Thelonious Monk, Sonic Youth, and Portishead; moves in silence, stays out of everyone’s business, dresses well without trying too hard, or caring who’s watching.
When it comes to the clothes, their sizing feels more forgiving. Kiichiro leans into relaxed fits — aside from the Deformation Jeans that might only fit infants, and I’m saying this from experience after trying them on — and the fabrics are excellent, especially at their price point. Their SS26 Rayon Silk Flannel is, as of right now, the softest, most comfortable shirt I’ve tried on this year.
There’s also this subtle level of grit to the clothes, which sounds silly, but you see it in pieces like their Baggy Denim Jeans, last season’s Linen Herringbone Jacket (which looks like a crime scene), Sulfur Dyed Vintage Jackets, Sheep Leather Jackets, and more. Auralee can tap into this at times — their Faded Zip Parkas and Dyed Duck Blousons come to mind — but after trying both, I have to give it to ssstein. It feels more natural, less polished. The kind of clothes you could wear to a bar fight.
Not that I’ve been in one, yet. I’ve practiced my boxing stance enough to confirm I can throw hands, I think.
Unfortunately, we’re already seeing more people push back on Japanese designers (hence the intro to this additional piece), which is interesting. Especially when a lot of those same people were championing pre–Japanese influenced Throwing Fits brands for years without much complaint, and still are.
Something feels a bit off there.
But it doesn’t really matter what those J.Crew-Hanover-Vans-wearing, pimple-faced, Chris Black worshipping vanilla boys are saying anyway.
Love u, Kiichiro.
Also, huge thank you to Romcom for the invite. A dream come true, really.
Greg Laboratory SS26 — Early Access
Greg Jackson, legal name The Famous Greg Jackson, has dropped another strong collection for SS26, and it couldn’t come at a better time for anyone in the market for pants and shorts. It’s warming up in Vancouver, and I need something I can wear comfortably around the city — hiking, bopping from café to café, or hitting the farmer’s market.
Yeah, I go to the farmer’s market, I do wholesome shit, too.
Just something that doesn’t leave my legs feeling like two tightly packaged sausages ready to burst.