RUNWAY: Thom Browne SS16

Thom Browne has a large following in Japan, he also recently opened a new store there so the American-born designer has been to that tiny but powerful country a lot lately. It's no surprise that he came away with lots of inspiration. His partner is also the curator of the new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC entitled "China: Through the Looking Glass" so Browne's mind has admittedly been on Asia.

For his SS16 collection, it was all about Japan, from ghostly faced models in kimonos to traditional wooden shoes. There were elements of geishas, samurai warriors, setting suns, cherry blossoms and beautiful landscapes sewn into lightweight and boxy suits.

Being inspired by a culture and appropriating it is a very thin line, one that various designers sometimes cross without realizing which may be the case here. The complexity and craftsmanship is then overshadowed by gross insensitivity.