Ready-to-wear designers often strive to produce garments that are versatile. Versatility in 2026, a time when we are simultaneously more enmeshed with and critical of social media than ever, undoubtedly entails a garment whose impact translates just as well in photographs as in person. CFCL, a Japanese brand founded in 2020 by Yusuke Takahashi, formerly the head menswear designer at Issey Miyake, provided in its Spring/Summer 2027 collection a masterclass in doing exactly that.
The collection, which focuses on knitwear, is defined by a distinctive streak of wearable, quirky playfulness that still manages to be supremely elegant. Here and there, hems balloon, fabric turns sheer, and ruffles turn up in unexpected places (on shoes, for example!). In real life, the garments bounce and flap in the wind. When photographed, something about the fine, knit texture of the fabrics and Takahashi’s construction capabilities allow the clothes to feel just as rollicking and alive over a screen as they do on the runway. In the second look, for example, gauzey white fabric forms the basis of a densely ruffled skirt, shoes, and clutch. It should be too much, but the lightness of the fabric and the boxy, loose top it’s styled with make it accessible.
Light, loose, gauzey fabrics show up throughout the collection, particularly as balloon trousers, which feature heavily. They prove themselves to be extremely versatile, styled for a day-time, professional occasion in looks eight through ten, as well as for night, where interesting, sculptured tops do much of the heavy lifting in looks nineteen, twenty-three and twenty-four. The trousers drape beautifully, cloaking the wearer in a relaxed, effortless vibe.
Takahashi’s collection is also chock-full of structurally impressive garments that excite the eye. Once again, movement is at the core: looks six, sixteen, and seventeen feature wide, ribbed skirts that literally bounce with every step.
They are far from gimmicky or kitsch, however— look seventeen, in particular, is effortlessly elegant in ivory. The floor-length skirt is paired with a loose, oversized and slightly sheer shirt and a pleated, boho bag. As the skirt bounces and the shirt flows, the combined effect of their movement is strikingly casual. The skirt, however, could just as easily be styled for evening, once again showcasing Takahashi’s understanding of the importance of versatility.
