Absolutely insane 20471120 piece from the AW97–98 “HEAD IBOO’S 55” period. The collection centred around the fictional Head Iboo Empire’s attack on Earth, with Nakagawa and LICA developing a distinctly extraterrestrial/reptilian world around the runway. The collection was presented as “20471120 VS HANAYASHIKI” at Tokyo’s Hanayashiki amusement park in 1997.
This dress is an incredible example of the label’s construction at its most experimental: a fitted upper body with gathered, sculpted sleeve openings, ribbed edging and dramatic diagonal claw-like openings across the chest. The centre is completely deconstructed into multiple overlapping layers, creating an almost three-dimensional cavity through the torso, while the gathered and twisted fabric falls into an enormous sculptural drape over the waist and hip. The lower skirt is constructed from numerous long, irregular panels that hang and fold independently, giving the entire garment a wonderfully mutated, almost alien-organic silhouette.
The construction feels less like a conventional dress and more like a garment that has been grown, folded and assembled around the body — exactly the kind of conceptual clothing that made 20471120 so important to late-90s Japanese fashion.
Season: AW97–98 “HEAD IBOO’S 55” Designer: 20471120 / Masahiro Nakagawa & LICA Size: S — fits S/M Shoulder: 44 cm Pit to pit: 40 cm Condition: General wear and a few marks consistent with age.
