“What’s always interesting with Emma is that they tend to do things that other people aren’t doing,” says stylist Rose Forde. The Emma that Forde is referring to is her client, House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy.
At the Emmys, instead of going the standard route with a big-name fashion house, they wore a louche, flowy suit from the rising Japanese menswear label Soshiotsuki.
“We work with some of the biggest luxury houses for Emma, but we’re not always led by that,” Forde explains. “Emma always wants to champion new, interesting perspectives.”
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If you’re plugged into menswear circles, you’ve probably heard of Soshiotsuki. Despite the Emmys marking the brand’s red carpet debut, founder Soshi Otsuki has become one of the most critically acclaimed designers in recent memory for his distinctive, genre-bending tailoring that calls to mind both ’80s-era Japanese salarymen and ’90s Giorgio Armani. Last September, Otsuki was awarded the prestigious LVMH prize.
“I think they needed to trust that our intentions were going to fit theirs,” says Forde, about the early morning Zoom calls she had with the brand about D’Arcy’s look. “They’re not necessarily in a rush to overexpose [themselves]. But I was really happy that we were able to work with them, and be the first to work with them.”
Forde has been a fan of the label for years, ever since she first encountered one of Otsuki’s early collections. “I was blown away by how they built character, their prose,” says Forde. “Obviously, the tailoring was so beautiful. The cut hints at old-school Armani, but then it felt like [it had] all these Japanese cinematic references. And the colors! In terms of tailoring, they’ve got a really strong point of view, and they’re building a world.”
That mindset is partly why D’Arcy’s look stood out amongst what was a lot of tailoring at the Emmys. Despite the trend of relaxed, slightly oversized suits, the fits at this week’s affair were a bit trimmer. (Enough that the tailor scoring British GQ’s best-dressed list was surprised.)
Jacob Ogden
Jacob Ogden
