Balancing Eastern and Western ideas is at the core of Adeam, embedded in collections that blend designer Hanako Madea’s Japanese heritage with motifs she picked up from her adopted city of New York. She continues this exploration with her Spring 2020 show, virtually transporting viewers to Yokohama, Japan, where the once secluded nation opened its seaports to the U.S. Navy in the 1800s.
The launching point for her designs start with kawaii (the cutesy, intensely saccharine style that is prevalent in Asian cultures, particularly with school girls), which she then reconfigures into elegant pieces that employ an interplay of pleats, ruffles, and grosgrain ribbons on asymmetrical silhouettes. But with seafaring being the overriding theme this season, the edge that characterized her past collections ebbed, making room for a more uniformed offering—albeit still with considered details.
A sleek navy suit, for example, has subtle white piping on the edges and a flared, cape-like back panel. There is a cream double-breasted blazer with buttons extending to the shoulder and a gold and pearl chain on the sleeve; a seersucker wrap dress with cascading folds at the knot. Portrait collars and puffy sleeves feature prominently on a number of shirts, jackets, and sweaters, imbuing the collection with a demure quality that is further enhanced by a selection of gowns adorned with patterned crystals. Indeed, on the scale that balances East and West, this collection veers toward the latter, appealing more to Madea’s high-society base, of which there were many at her New York Fashion Week show.
Check out the Adeam Spring 2020 collection in the slideshow:
