PARIS — The latest menswear showcase by the avant-garde designer Junya Watanabe kicked off at Paris Fashion Week on Friday with elegant beige hunting jackets featuring oversized pockets, paired with understated shirts and ties.

Initially, the presentation gave an impression of a traditional aesthetic, showcasing Watanabe’s renowned flair for unconventional tailoring and patchwork that soon challenged conventional norms.

What began with classic Americana pieces—thick denim jeans, caps, and checkered shirts—quickly evolved into a more surprising direction. The collection featured exaggerated check-patterned pants in vibrant red with dramatic cuffs, while bursts of color enlivened the runway. A pale yellow jacket and a soft, padded coat in gentle pastels added a touch of softness, reimagining rugged outdoor fashion into a more fluid gender expression.

Bold colors, from striking reds to bright blue check patterns, defined the collection. This vivid palette appeared on the reinvented hunting jackets and traditionally masculine silhouettes, disrupted by Watanabe’s signature patchwork technique. This approach transformed patchwork from merely a stylistic choice into a conceptual statement, merging various ideas and styles into a rich tapestry of contradictions.

While hunting jackets often symbolize a sense of tradition, Watanabe’s interpretations felt innovative and audacious, thanks to their intelligent fabric layering and unexpected details. This collection illustrated Watanabe’s skill in merging timeless elements with futuristic designs, presenting a masculine “bro” style brilliantly flipped with streaks of feminine flair.

Despite the polished and coherent themes revolving around denim and unconventional tailoring, the collection seemed to lack the urgency or sociopolitical commentary that had characterized Watanabe’s previous works, presenting a more subdued narrative.