Ujoh Redefines Uniform Dressing with Rebellious Sophistication for Autumn/Winter 2025-26 Collection
By Jesse Scott
The nineties are so back. On the final day of a Paris Fashion Week that has seen a return to the dramatic silhouettes and swaggering self-expression of this golden era of fashion, Ujoh seized the spotlight with a contemporary and nuanced tribute to the Japanese youth movements of the time. "The 80s and 90s are when we started to love fashion, and we're re-adapting the language of the time in a modern Ujoh way," Mitsuru Nishizaki explained to Rain in an exclusive interview backstage.
Ujoh collections are always impeccably tailored, carefully curated, and deeply intellectual in inspiration. This season saw Mitsuru and Aco take the Japanese school uniform as their primary source of inspiration then effectively reinterpret a reinterpretation of it. "The school uniform is naturally quite rigid - everything is decided," Mitsuru explained to Rain. "But in 90's Japan there was a movement among teenagers to go against all of these codes and find their own styles. Our tailoring at Ujoh is used to break through the 'code' and find freedom." An ode to rebellion, and liberating oneself from strict structure in a profoundly personal way, the collection inverted our pre-conceptions of the uniform by proposing it as a vehicle for promoting self-expression rather than a device for limiting it.
Oversized Knits & Irreverent Details Re-Define the Uniform
As expected from Ujoh, knits played a prominent role in the collection. Mitsuru and Aco used form to allude to youthful defiance; a series of oversized looks gave the impression of uniforms having been intentionally chosen too big in an act of subversion (Look 8). Meanwhile, seemingly simple shirts were made deceptively complex through surprising details: button plackets transformed into lavallieres and ribbon ties at the waist.
All was swathed in Ujoh's signature sophistication, with subtle layers, angular forms, and carefully considered asymmetries turning each piece into a work of art (Looks 11, 12). Lapels were cinched like scarves (Look 17), shirt cuffs swirled like serpents (Look 21), and layered skirts (Look 29) billowed with a tailored freedom. The Ujoh logo made a rare appearance as an elegantly designed "school" crest. And material choice was impeccable, as a selection of jacquard, flannel twill, and gabardine was complemented by an innovative eco-friendly quilted material injected with recycled polyamide fibers (Look 35).
Fluidity Highlights Versatile Collection
Mitsuru told Rain: "Ujoh doesn't really think in genders. It does things for everyone, for people who know what they want and who are confident." This was evident throughout the show, as men and women intermingled in versatile silhouettes. Dark chocolate, bottle green, navy blue, and taupe, colours not typically viewed as either masculine or feminine, anchored the overall palette. They swathed the collection in an air of self-assured luxury, fitting given Ujoh's core philosophies regarding dressing. "Short-term trends are quite strong in Japan," Mitsuru explained to Rain, but Ujoh is not concerned about following them. "For us, elegance means not focusing on what is happening around you and just being true to yourself."
Céline Debussy, Michael Monteiro, Isaiah Denzel, and Camille Pidoux were among the stars present at the show. For many on the guest list this represented the final show of the season - and they couldn't have asked for a more dramatic closing. Instead of a traditional final walk, models sat down on simple chairs in the middle of the runway, then leaped to their feet and made a frenzied exit as if liberated by the sound of a long-awaited school bell. They were freed, for the day, from rigid codes: perhaps to play sports, work on art projects, or listen to the minimal techno that Mitsuru himself enjoys. But even within those rigid codes, they had forged their own unique identities through the art of dressing.