Dresscamp MBFW Tokyo S/S 2016 Collection

A dramatic, floor-grazing black ballgown with pink flowers draped across the bodice opened the Dresscamp show, setting the stage for Toshikazu Iwaya’s romantic yet uneven turn for spring. Iwaya’s models wore frothy dresses and skirt sets with something of a Victorian vibe to them. But in this mixed bag of a show, there were both hits and misses.

On the positive side, bold, almost psychedelic color combos dominated the lineup as in a lacy, turquoise dress worn over purple swirled tights. Sparkly petticoats peeked out from the hemlines of full dresses and skirts done in bright floral prints. One arresting ivory number featured lace-trimmed, ruffled sleeves. A range of small structured handbags made in partnership with Japanese firm Samantha Thavasa was also a success, in particular the versions in stripes and abstract paint splotches.

In the not-so-great camp, a number of dresses fell flat. These included a lace style with ruffled pink sleeves in a fabric reminiscent of an Eighties prom dress as well as the final grouping of poufy black dresses, which felt repetitive and should have been edited down.

Iwaya’s men’s wear a mishmash of Baroque, sport and disco influences seemed like a disjointed insert in this show. Given looks such as a track suit in a rose pattern that resembled a cheap tablecloth and skinny pants with lip appliqués that opened when the models’ knees bent, the ladies made out better this time around