AURALEE SS22 Is a Vision in Pastel
Brand: Auralee
Season: Spring/Summer 2022
Release Date: December 2021/January 2022
Buy: Highsnobiety,SSENSE, COVERCHORD
Editor's Notes: Of all the brands emerging from Japan these days, AURALEE may be my favorite. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of low-key Japanese brands I adore but most retain only a core domestic audience: AURALEE is ready for the international stage.
Spring/Summer 2022 speaks to the Japanese brand's skill at crafting clothing equally aesthetic and artisanal. For instance, AURALEE's fabrics are all exclusives; no fabric house seconds here. Founder Ryota Iwai's drive to create unimpeachable quality pretty much speaks for itself.
Simple summer days are made of AURALEE SS22. There's sack suiting, softened militaria — complete with faded camo pattern — bizcas classics rendered doughy and flowy. Hand-knit sweaters, washi paper pants, and crocheted shirts lend a crunchy contrast to the cotton-linen shag cardigans and silky chore coats but all are cut from the same breezy, dusty-hued cloth.
Like so many other young brands, though, the easiest way to get into AURALEE is from the feet up.
Not because of the driving moc mules, though: that's where AURALEE's New Balance collaborations come in. The label's joint efforts with the Boston sportswear giant are certainly where most of its global coverage comes from — sadly, takes more than minimalist apparel alone to make headlines these days — and AURALEE SS22 is delivering the goods once again.
This time, the Japanese brand is dishing two super-slick takes on New Balance's 2002R, rendered in tones of buttercream and off-white.
These kicks, rendered in tonal suede, nubuck and mesh, epitomize AURALEE's artful, effortless appeal. If only life was as easy as AURALEE's clothes made it look.