Japanese bondage is having a moment. Lady Gaga appears in the latest bondage-themed issue of Japanese Vogue Hommes And today, Preen designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi showed a Japanese bondage–inspired spring 2010 collection in Milk Studios. Many pieces with Preen’s signature curved and twisted lines came embellished with thick mats of ruffles. “The inspiration started with a piece of rope wrapped around the body and twisted,” Justin explained after the show. “Then we looked at Japanese bondage, where they wrap and they twist, but then it became really soft and silky.” They also revisited their Victoriana pieces of the nineties, which is where the idea for the ruffles came from. “The ruffles originally started as a piece of rope wound up and then eventually developed into these very controlled topiary-like ruffles,” Justin explained. “Frills can be so girlie. We still wanted it to be quite strong and cool.” Mission accomplished.
