Sixh. with Jin Sasaki from Serial Number

Plenty of surprises were instore for the unwary on February 26 of 2011 with Sixh.'s fashion show collaboration!

The new h.NAOTO store in Harajuku once again became the runway for a fashion show. A week after presenting the H&A collection, it was time to welcome Sixh.’s Spring collection. On February 26^th IBI, NARI and MINT hosted the show with the help of a very special guest: Serial Number’s own Sasaki Jin. The show elegantly combined fashion and rock’n’roll in the so called Ghost-kei fashion style (Gothic + V-host-fashion TM IBI) with designer Mika Takeuchi’s Melt line adding sexy sweetness to the mix. The show contained daring and somewhat futuristic pieces, the 3 designer’s concepts offering a delightful variety of outfits.

IBI and Melt graced us with edgy looks where black was, as usual, the dominant color with purple, blue, pink, and white shining through to match the models’ colorful hair styles. Throughout the show, Sixh.’s own Nari played guitar live as he strode down the runway. Perhaps the most fascinating theme was the plastering of “sloth” of the seven deadly sins across various outfits. Perhaps the start of a new trend?

Jagged shirts and skirts, mega-short jackets and fluid, uneven patterns and cuts that fit tightly around the body made the clothes seem more like a second skin. More than just clothes, the Sixh. brand wears like a concept, a statement, a lifestyle, and as the models confidently walked down the runway, shiny patterns seemed to come alive on the body.

IBI’s gothic, Final Fantasy-style look contrasted with MINT’s baggy pants and long shirts. It was interesting to see IBI’s pointy leather boots give way to Mint’s floppy sandals as he walked, robot-like, down the catwalk, sometimes playing with outfits that could be transformed; for example, one long black jacket with a zipper running from the front to the back doubled for use as a shirt. His styling for the evening brought to mind the Clockwork Orange.

IBI’s ladies collection combined Gothic and class. One particular outfit prevailed: a short, flowy skirt and straight-cut top adorned with silver patterns, revealing some flesh, in an unusual but elegant modern Gothic look. The Goth trend was without a doubt present in the Melt designs, too. Purple butterflies, stars, and roses popped out from the dark, midnight fabric and seemed to fly freely with their model’s every step.

One of the highlights of the event was the awaited appearance of Jin Sasaki. At first, Jin wore tight black jeans and a long gray t-shirt and he seemed a bit nervous, but his confidence grew with every moment. Later, he surprised the audience with a dark, edgy look that contrasted his own vibrant style and that of his band.

One more surprise was in store, though, when IBI strode down the catwalk to the gasps of the unprepared fans, speechless to see him clad in a froppy outfit holding a sword. Short pantaloons and a longtailed vest with frilly blouse contributed to the overall look. IBI seemed like something out of a fantasy pirate movie, and one thing is certain: no one could pull off that look like he did, both the outfit and the model were outstanding, earning him the nickname “The Pirate King.”

To those wondering “Is there anything they won’t try?” the answer is: as long as it is stylish, new and edgy, Sixh. seem ready to try anything. We look forward to more surprises from their future collections.

There are 241 photos in this visual kei exclusive.

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