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.
Shop AURALEE at Highsnobiety below
