Embark on a Space Odyssey with Maiko Takeda Autumn/Winter 2014-15

Ethereal and technical, the work of Maiko Takeda summons a vision of fashion beamed from another planet.

Born in Tokyo and now based in London, Maiko Takeda recently completed her Masters in millinery at the Royal College of Art in London, and prior to this studied jewelry design at Central Saint Martins College, and has worked with Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy and Issey Miyake. The young designer’s work takes the form of headpieces, jewelry and body adornments that reflect her passion for science and mathematics, using multiple materials pieces utilize transparency, shadows, wind and gravity to reshape and obscure the human form in original and intense fashion.

In her collection titled “Atmospheric Reentry” for Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014-2015, work is displayed in installations comprised of a sculptural head and body pieces informed by a sense of futurism, the works deftly utilizing space and geometry to achieve their innovative forms. Renowned American composers Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s piece “Einstein on the Beach,” whose minimal and repetitive characteristic effortlessly communicate a futuristic and utopian atmosphere, was the inspirational touchstone for the collection. Pieces were constructed from unconventional materials: Hundreds of spiky, feather-like units projecting away from the body were constructed from clear acrylic and color-tinted with delicate gradients, resulting in an airy spherical cloud seemingly encasing the human figure in a brightly hued haze that almost defies comprehension. The result was a study of both density and lightness that skillfully merging sculpture and jewelry, fashion and art into a graceful intangible presentation that again showed Takeda’s ability to create a unique, highly personal fashion narrative.