Engineered Garments is known for marrying utilitarian garments with eye-catching textures and fabrics, and the spring 2022 collection continues this mission. Last season, Daiki Suzuki looked to American classics—think plaids and C.C. Filson jackets—but this time, he was inspired by “the beautiful imagery and vast range of cultures of Africa,” as well as “the work of several brands in the ’80s, including Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Willis & Geiger, Ruff Hew, and British Khaki, who drew from African imagery in their collections.”
In 2021, citing a continent of 54 countries as inspiration will feel outdated and trivializing to many. Safaris seem to have guided the silhouettes: jackets and vests with ample pockets, jumpsuits in khaki and brown plaid, and cargo pants. Some of the prints were a bit too on the nose, such as the cheetah-spotted windbreakers and the many giraffes that appeared throughout the collection. But more concerning was a blue and yellow motif closely resembling the Ghanaian textile kente cloth; Suzuki is a Japanese designer, and it could come across as culturally appropriative. Meanwhile, the decision to style some of the looks with pith helmets, a hat that’s become increasingly controversial due to its association with European colonizers, felt legitimately tone-deaf.
Suzuki said his goal was to “[highlight] the need to restore [Africa’s] wilderness to help stabilize the global ecosystem,” and the profits from the stuffed animals featured in the lookbook will be donated to help “make clean water wells in Africa.” Even so, this collection would have been served by a more specific starting point. For the most part, designers have come to view collections inspired by cultures other than their own as misguided, especially if the clothes weren’t made in collaboration with the artisans or designers who belong to that community. Had Suzuki gone the extra mile to partner with weavers or makers in Africa, this collection may have felt more genuine.