The collection’s merits were far from limited to the color patterns. The first item in the show was an asymmetrical white coatdress. The planar, sleeveless design featured a fully open right side and a left side that was completely closed, sans even a hole for the arm. The right side and the opening at the front of the coatdress gave glimpses of a tight-fitting gold dress and a bright lime green shawl underneath. According to Nakajima, this look emerged from the iconoclastic idea of wearing a dress still in a garment bag. The planar coat was printed in a flat state, elaborately designed to retain the original color of the fabric in the front opening, inner sleeves, and inside collar where the ink did not reach. Layering organdy with the base fabric, the dress aimed to produce an optical illusion by exploiting that transparency and printing the same pattern on both fabrics. It was this bold contradiction—intentionally destroying the aforementioned harmony by concealing a faint sense of discomfort—that made the collection really wow.
For his first Tokyo show, Nakajima wanted to showcase the TELMA label. He set no overall theme for the collection, instead packing it full of his signature design touches and the appeals of his brand. Nonetheless, he did take some inspiration from “Crane’s Return of a Favor,” a Japanese folk tale about an old man who rescues an injured crane, who in turn transforms into a beautiful woman and, to repay the man for his kindness, uses her own feathers to weave a stunning piece of fabric for him. Nakajima has carved out results from his partnerships with traditional craftspeople and textile centers all over Japan, and this collection served to return the favor to the many people who have helped and supported his career until now. At the end of the folk tale, the woman turns back into a crane and leaves the man’s home. The runway was swathed in a fantastical evanescence embodying the world of that story—and an incredible beauty.