Color magic at Anrealage in Paris

An awestruck audience applauded throughout Tuesday afternoon’s ready-to-wear show by the avant-garde Japanese brand Anrealage, whose founder, designer Kunihiko Morinaga, calls himself a scientist of fashion.

Presented in the red velvet decor of the Théatre de la Madeleine, the show started with a series of models walking out onto the stage, two by two. They were dressed in a variety of all-white looks with 1950s-inspired shapes, such as a sculpted faux-fur high-neck dress, or a satin dress with a giant crochet collar. Fronts and backs appeared interchangeably.

At one point, a couple of light rails dropped down from the wings. As they moved up or down in front of the models, the clothing lit up with different colors and patterns. The effect worked on all kinds of fabrics—satin, jacquard, faux fur, knit, velvet and lace.

The futuristic materials use photochromic technology, changing color when exposed to UV rays, then returning to their base color about three minutes afterwards. In real life, these garments would evolve through the hours of the day and the seasons.

This collection was the designer’s take on “Umwelt,” a German concept that explores how living beings perceive their environment. It was also an ode to diversity.