Review of Ambush Fall 2022 Fashion Show
No Surprise Attacks
By Mark Wittmer
Fall 2022 marked the first runway presentation from Yoon Ahn’s Ambush held in Milan. With distinctly Tokyo design roots and aesthetic, but an increasingly international outlook – evinced through collaborations with the likes of Off-White and Gentle Monster, as well as Ahn’s contemporaneous role as Kim Jones’ jewelery designer for Dior Men – it seems fitting that the house, which has also showed in Paris and Tokyo, should also leave its mark on Italy’s fashion capital. The powerfully produced show played to Ahn’s design strengths and experience without delivering anything that felt too original or urgent.
Expectedly, the highlight of the collection was hardware, jewelery, and accessories. A metallic “A” logo was used in a brilliant multiplicity of ways: as the clasps on dominatrix boots, as the hinge on sunglasses, as a chain strap for handbags, linked together as chainmail shirts.
Bags came in the shape of A’s as well, with the other star bag, formed as a heart-shaped padlock, is sure to be a big seller.
Its simple cuteness subverting the collection’s sharp focus, the heart motif also made several appearances on the clothing in smart structural moments, particularly on the crotchless cowhide pants, a standout piece.
Other than a few other moments of textural departure (like the beaded dresses), the collection didn’t deliver many surprises or newness. Razor sharp tailoring ran throughout (reminiscent of recent work from Matthew M. Williams at Givenchy, though Ahn’s seems less contrived and more focused), often modernized with smart pocket and hardware details. Cutout dresses were a frequent number as well.
For the most part it felt like the ready-to-wear was more of a backdrop or a very cool mannequin on which to place the accessories, the brand’s real strong suit and big selling point – including the new collaboration with Nike, that unveiled a reimagining of the classic Air Adjust Force as the latest in a series of highly coveted collaborations from the house.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Ahn knows where her strengths lie. But the show also proved that she does seriously understand the vocabulary and image-work it takes to build a recognizable and recognizably cool brand. If she could have the imagination and bravery to build on her own creativity and vision, rather than playing it so safe, Ambush could deliver something really impressive.