Thugging Out the Heat for Auralee
Auralee remains one of the most anticipated shows on the Paris Fashion Week calendar and a defining force in contemporary Japanese menswear, but SS27 felt unusually stagnant.
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Paris Fashion Week SS27
And just like that, we’ve returned to Paris for SS27.
Unfortunately, it seems like my trips to the city of love cannot occur without something going wrong. For those that may have forgotten, when I had visited for FW26, I had experienced the following:
Delayed flights to Paris
Luggage was lost for 3.5/4 days for a 7 day trip
Once my luggage was returned, and I headed up to my BnB, I discovered that I had lost the apartment key as some point during the day
Cancelled flight back home
Stayed in a 2/10 hotel that looked like a set for a Polish horror film
Caught the flu and was sick for two-or-so weeks afterwards
This time around, I’ve had to bounce between three BnBs due to cancellations, and it’s only my third day here. So, it’s very clear that someone’s put a curse on me and does not want me to succeed, but jokes on you, I’m going to keep pushing. Though, I’ve only had a total of 3 hours of sleep, maybe less, since boarding my flight on Monday the 22nd.
Oh, it’s also fucking scorching, in case you weren’t aware. I haven’t really felt the heat while walking around the city — not until I hit a full stop. That’s when I’ll realize that I resemble the Jordan Peele sweating meme, and have to squidgy my head. Actually, I did exactly this in front of the press outside Auralee’s presentation, and I believe it was captured on camera.
If anyone of you spot me on any fashion-related sites that post street-style photographs before shows, please let me know. I’d love to see how shiny my head looks, and how sweaty my face is.
Anyway, I’ve kicked things off with my review on Auralee’s latest collection for SS27, and I’ve got several more posts on the way covering my days. As always, despite loving several of the brands I’m seeing, I’m not going to sugarcoat anything for the sake of being invited back. It’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it — though I’ve also been roasting in the 40-degree heat, so my apologies if it’s messy.
Auralee SS27
Auralee has become one of the defining fixtures of the Paris Fashion Week schedule, so it’s safe to say I was disappointed by SS27.
This was my first time attending an Auralee show after several attempts to secure an invitation. Time and time again, I was told I was too late, that the guest list was full, or that capacity had been reached. Then, potentially due to some cosmic alignment I’ve got no business in understanding, I was finally invited to see Ryota Iwai’s SS27 collection in the flesh.
Naturally, this came with a certain level of anticipation. Given the momentum surrounding Japanese menswear, being able to properly experience Auralee’s work —the styling, fabrics, textures, and layering — felt significant. Up until now, my relationship with the brand had largely been through lookbooks, runway imagery, and the scattered deliveries arriving at retailers months later.
Unfortunately, I left feeling underwhelmed.
There were several lulls throughout the collection, ones that could pass for being well-styled, but still a letdown. Not every look needs to be groundbreaking, nor does every collection need to reinvent the wheel, but at the very least I’d like to see some sort of evolution in Ryota Iwai’s work. Instead, SS27 felt like a collection from a brand that has hit a creative wall. As a whole, it felt stagnant.
The usual Auralee-isms were all there. The colour palettes were pleasant, and there were moments where the styling felt familiar in a comforting way. Their closing look consisted of a red oversized coat, paired with purple jeans, which created this adorable marriage of primary colours. It was was quite charming at first, but even moments like that felt less impactful than they might have a few seasons ago. What once felt distinct is beginning to feel expected.
We also saw a leather three-pocket chore jacket with metal buttons, paired with what looked like garment-dyed teal denim, potentially one of their classic silk blue button-ups, and brown sandals. It was nice, genuinely nice, but that’s kind of the issue.
My reaction wasn’t anything beyond, “Yeah, that’s Auralee.”
There’s obviously value in having such a recognizable design language. Very few brands have managed to establish an identity as clearly as Auralee has. However, once you’ve established that language, you would hope there would be a forward motion in evolution to further expand your language, and not running in a circle. Increasingly, it feels like the brand is speaking in the same voice season after season.
The accessories were probably where I found the most enjoyment. Alongside the classic pair of flip-flops tucked into bags, and the neck-hanging wallets, there were bracelets, charms, and anklets that felt oddly nostalgic. They reminded me of the sort of friendship trinkets you’d exchange before summer break as a kid, or something you’d pass onto your crush to keep the fire going. Something you’d make for a friend before disappearing on family vacation for two months and writing “H.A.G.S.” in their yearbook before the final bell rings and summer break begins.
Those details added a level of wholesomeness to the collection, and honestly, I wish there had been more moments like that. Because that’s ultimately where I land with SS27 — it was pleasant, but at this point, that doesn’t feel enough anymore. I don’t expect Auralee to suddenly become experimental or radically different, especially for a spring/summer collection, but I do expect some kind of progression. Something that makes me feel as though the brand is still moving somewhere, something that will keep me on my toes and want more.
Instead, the collection left me asking a question I’ve started asking about a few brands lately, including ssstein:
Have we peaked? (probs not)
The womenswear didn’t do much to answer that question either. Much of it felt fairly straightforward, almost to a fault. There was one particular dress with an open back that I didn’t find particularly flattering, and don’t really see women purchasing. After the event, I spoke to one of my favourite stylists in the game, and they agreed that the womenswear side of things lacks a certain oomph, and that it should be moreso styled like their menswear. It seems that when Auralee tries to lean too heavily on what they believe is styling for women, it ends up falling flat.
All this to say, there was one look that featured a red waffle-knit hoodie layered over what appeared to be a sheer silk shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, paired with an orange leather skirt and beige flip-flops. It was playful, charming, and one of the few looks that genuinely stuck with me after the show. At the same time, it also felt incredibly specific, and perhaps that’s what Auralee is increasingly becoming.
In Japan, Auralee functions as an everyday brand. It’s something people can throw on without thinking twice, with this inane attention to detail and prioritizing fabric quality of quantity. In North America, however, that’s often not the case. Between the pricing, availability, and occasionally inconsistent sizing, the brand feels increasingly distant, with people with bodies like mine often feeling disillusioned by the brand.
As a result, there’s this strange tension where Auralee is becoming both more exclusive and more repetitive at the same time.
Overall, I’m grateful to have finally attended the show and honoured to have received an invitation. I just wish it had been attached to a stronger collection. I’d love to see what Auralee does this fall, as their F/W collections is where I personally find the brand at their best. SS27, however, feels like the beginning of a larger conversation about where the brand currently stands.
Auralee’s customer base isn’t going anywhere. The loyalty is there. The appreciation is there What I’m less certain about is the excitement, because if the next few collections continue down this path, it feels as though Auralee risks becoming something different entirely. Less of a brand people are excited to discover, and more a brand people simply expect to be there. And maybe that’s the real question after SS27.
Not whether Auralee is still good, but whether Auralee is still growing.