Looks from Jojo Ross’ AW19 Mima’s Room. Images supplied.
Jojo Ross recently released her new Autumn/Winter 2019 collection called Mima’s Room which is inspired by the designer’s love of anime, in particular Satoshi Kon’s 1997 masterpiece Perfect Blue. The film is an intriguing psychological thriller set in Tokyo which follows the story of Mima Kirigoe, ‘a bows and tutu wearing J-Pop star who retires from singing to pursue her dream of becoming a serious actress. Mima quickly becomes the victim of an obsessed fan who is incapable of accepting she has shed her innocent idol facade. With combined pressure from her acting career and the relentless stalking, Mima begins to lose perception of real life and fantasy.’
A longtime fan of Japanese culture and anime herself, Jojo has created a directional range which has beautiful juxtapositions between the culture of cuteness that is kawaii and the drama of confrontation from the film. These concepts see the designer mash-up the playful, child-like Japanese aesthetic with hardcore industrial elements for a fashion forward effect. Sweetness comes in the form of pretty pink corduroy, soft checked wools and lustrous striped and crushed velvets which reference Decora (colourful Japanese street style subculture). The designer has gone for heavy metal buckles, domes and zips, sharp tailoring and bold silhouettes that heighten the tension and allude to the gripping final act.
Among the key pieces is the charming Kawaii Dress which has a full skirt and references Mima’s innocence early on in the story. As the film moves into darker territory the mood shifts and Mima’s naivety is replaced by unease which manifests in sharper pieces. The Cham! Turtleneck may be crushed velvet but it has a heavy chain zip while the Mima top is a grown-up version of the kawaii dress, the sweet skirt replaced by a more adult tailored one. Jojo has taken Mima’s longing desire to been seen as serious and created ladylike tailored pieces that would suit her including the Delusion Dress, Rumi Skirt and Satoshi Jackets.
While the designer has dedicated more time to her leading lady, Mima’s stalker Me-Mania is introduced to the collection in the form of the Me-Mania dress, which is a hardcore version of the elegant Delusion Dress. Jojo has channeled the fantasy and confusion of the film with her Lucid Green denim pieces and with the Perfect Blue fabrication – a metallic digital-like woven jacquard.
For the film’s intense finale Jojo has depicted the terror with two exclusive signature prints, the first called “STILL WATERS RUN DEEP”. The second is the escape print which features a chilling snapshot from the film itself of Mima running to escape from her knife yielding stalker in the rain.
The collection certainly delivers on the mindbending nature of its inspiration while also being full of covetable contemporary looks that are for the adventurous and more restrained woman alike. Conceptual, clever and chic, there’s so much to love about Jojo Ross’ Mima’s Room collection, anime-inspired fashion has never been more appealing.
Images supplied.