TAAKK—— SPRING-SUMMER 2022 COLLECTION——–FROM THE BOTTOM UP———-

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TAAKK's 'From the Bottom Up' presentation remains a reference point in fashion archiving circles, cited in 2025 and 2026 retrospectives on the pandemic-era pivot to digital runway formats and their lasting influence on independent Japanese designers.

TAAKK and the Philosophy Behind 'From the Bottom Up'

Tokyo-based designer Takuya Morikawa founded TAAKK in 2013 with a consistent commitment to structural experimentation and conceptual depth. The label has built its reputation on garments that challenge conventional construction methods, layering intellectual rigor with a distinctly Japanese sensitivity to material and form. The Spring-Summer 2022 collection, titled ‘From the Bottom Up,’ extended this practice into thematic territory that felt acutely relevant to the cultural moment in which it was conceived.

The title itself functions as both a sartorial directive and a philosophical statement. Morikawa’s approach to this collection centered on the idea of rebuilding, of reconsidering the foundational elements of garment construction and, by extension, the structures that organize everyday life. After nearly two years of global disruption, the notion of starting from the ground and working upward carried unmistakable resonance. The collection translated this concept into tailoring that prioritized base layers, unconventional hemlines, and a deliberate inversion of traditional hierarchies in dress. Proportions were recalibrated so that the lower half of each silhouette commanded attention, anchoring the wearer visually and conceptually to the earth rather than projecting upward and outward in the manner of more conventional suiting.

This philosophical clarity is a hallmark of the TAAKK design process, and ‘From the Bottom Up’ represented one of its most cohesive articulations to date.

Paris Fashion Week Online and the Digital Runway Moment

TAAKK presented ‘From the Bottom Up’ on June 22, 2021, as part of Paris Fashion Week Online, the digital platform that the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode introduced in response to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadcast at 5:30 PM CET, the presentation joined a broader wave of fashion films and digital showcases that were, at that point, no longer novelties but established formats requiring genuine cinematic ambition to distinguish themselves.

Director Nagisa Kodama brought that ambition to the TAAKK presentation. Rather than treating the film as a simple substitute for a physical runway, Kodama shaped it as a standalone visual work, one in which composition, pacing, and environment were as carefully considered as the garments themselves. Director of Photography Keisuke Kamiyama contributed a precise visual language, while colorist Anne Luc ensured that the tonal palette of the film reinforced the collection’s grounded, structural aesthetic. Music composer Taisuke Kimura provided a score that moved the presentation forward with the kind of tension and release usually associated with physical show choreography.

The result was a presentation that understood the possibilities of the digital format rather than merely accommodating its limitations. In retrospectives conducted in 2025 and 2026, ‘From the Bottom Up’ has been cited as a benchmark example of how independent Japanese designers used the pandemic-era pivot to digital formats not as a stopgap but as a genuine creative opportunity, one that expanded the reach and expressive range of their work considerably.

Creative Collaborators and the TAAKK Production Network

The ‘From the Bottom Up’ presentation drew on a tightly coordinated network of creative professionals whose combined expertise elevated the film well beyond a standard brand showcase. Creative Producer and Show Director Takashiro Saito of KuRoKo inc. oversaw the conceptual framework of the production alongside Keisuke Kikuchi, who managed production logistics for the same company. This pairing ensured that the creative vision and the operational demands of the shoot remained in close alignment throughout the process.

Stylist Shohei Kashima of W Inc. worked in close collaboration with the TAAKK team, which included Miho Fujitani, Hisashi Hidano, Namiko Hidano, Atsuro Furuyama, and Von Ford alongside Morikawa himself. Kashima’s styling choices reinforced the collection’s central thesis, ensuring that each look read as a complete argument rather than a series of isolated garments. Hair and makeup by Jun Nakamura for Shiseido, one of the collection’s special thanks partners alongside I.N.K. Shoes, completed the visual identity of each look with restraint and precision.

International press representation by Karla Otto Paris placed the collection within a global context, connecting TAAKK’s distinctly Japanese design sensibility to the broader conversations taking place within the international fashion industry. This kind of strategic representation has been central to TAAKK’s continued visibility beyond its domestic market, allowing the label to participate meaningfully in international fashion discourse without compromising the specificity of its creative identity.