Junya Watanabe is a Japanese fashion designer. He apprenticed at Comme des Garçons in 1984 first as a pattern maker, then designer in the Tricot knitwear line and finally the Comme Des Garçons Homme line. In 1993 he debuted his first show under the line "Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garçons". Watanabe is known for his experimental and futuristic designs, including a solar powered jacket in his FW16 menswear line. The designer’s notes on the 2016 Spring Summer show stated, “This season Junya Watanabe simply wanted to create accessories.” This black patent leather neck piece was worn in a collection showcasing African fabric patterns which sparked controversy for glossing over the colonialism associated with its setting (the National Museum of Immigration History in Paris) and presentation. Paired with block coloured garments or garments bearing the complex prints of African wax fabrics, the intricate accessories both provided contrast to and complemented the garments show.The donor, Lionnel Lim recalls seeing this piece online, and sought it out in Japan. He used it as a scarf-like accessory. Lim, Director of Society & Special Events at a+ magazine, first worked as a fashion designer-cum-merchandiser for local and regional manufacturers and later switched to writing, styling and illustrating for newspapers and various publications . Lim’s style is driven by a preference for the strange and unusual, with pieces ranging from Walter Van Bierendonck to Jean Paul Gaultier’s Soleil Sol line.
