Onitsuka Tiger returned to the Milan Fashion Week schedule to present its SS24 collection designed by Creative Director Andrea Popinou. The show represented the pull of the brand, with Momo, the Japanese singer, rapper, and member of the South Korean girl group Twice, walking in the show, receiving a warm response from the audience.
The collection began with dark hues, blending tailored jackets and overcoats with shorts. Long flowing jackets were paired with a wide low-top trainer that splayed across the catwalk, followed by a look which paired shorts with knee-high black boots, which was continued into the following looks (spoiler alert: continuation continues way too continuously in this collection).
Next, we saw a similar-length tailored jacket paired with yellow boots. While displaying an excellent approach to tailoring that perfectly played with proportion to distinguish looks, it felt like further contrast could have been added between looks.
The first womenswear pieces seen continued in a black hue, with layered one-shouldered dresses ushering in some asymmetry. Sheer mesh detailing was featured across necklines from the thigh. Mesh featured in menswear looks, too, with long sleeves tucked into trousers and arms moving with the pace of the model.
Again, black hues were broken up with yellow dresses using mesh layering and one-shouldered detailing for contrast, with the dress arriving in shorter and longer length options. Feels like we’ve heard this one before.
Aside from length, the collection offered very little variety and felt like it could have been cut in half. Yes, the tailoring was strong, but we did not need to see it four times. The same goes for the boots. The shoe selection could have been a lot stronger for a brand with such a varied footwear offering. The it girl-approved Mexico 66 not only comes in a host of colour options but could have perfectly complemented both the men’s and womenswear looks seen. While the boots worked well with shorts, perhaps pairing them with full-length trousers to see their wider styling potential could have strengthened the collection
Muted shades of cream were peppered into the offering, too, combining loose necklines with ruched detailing. The collection is accessorised in neutral hues with silver contrasting detailing. Full-length evening dresses were crafted in the same hue and delicately adorned with textured detailing and silver accents.
Florals were introduced towards the latter end of the collection, with printed floral tees layered with shirts featuring the same work. Floral prints are also featured on dresses of varying yellow hues of varying fervency, replacing more of the same with what felt like … more of the same.
Overall, Onitsuka Tiger’s collection was strong. However, many looks borrowed from each other, which is not inherently bad and could say more about the industry’s expectations for constant reinvention and new designs. Onitsuka Tiger SS24 provided a solid selection of tailoring, elegant dresses, and footwear; one thing’s for sure it was consistent, only too consistent.
You can take a look at the Onitsuka Tiger show above. More fashion week content can be found across TikTok and Instagram.
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