Momotarō is well known to those versed in Japanese folklore. A boy born from a giant peach leaves home to fight a band of Oni (demons) on Onigashima, where he befriends a talking dog, monkey and pheasant. It's a tale full of whimsy and rebellious fantasy. It is fitting, then, that APUJAN’s latest collection, The Extraordinary Voyage of Captain Peach, took this fable as its compass, steering us into a dreamlike world where myth and fashion collided under the lights of London Fashion Week.

The show unfolded like a storybook brought to life. One unforgettable top and skirt appeared to be crafted entirely from oversized yellowed pages of mythology, its print curling across the shoulders and spilling as a skirt that swayed like turning parchment. Another look paired a minimalist black slip dress with towering, sculptural demon masks in lacquered red and blue. The garment made me feel as if the Oni themselves had joined the procession. These garments felt animated, as if they might leap from the runway and continue their voyage beyond the venue walls.

Yet APUJAN is never one to let narrative overwhelm wearability. Among the theatrical statements were precisely tailored suits, soft knits, and flowing separates that offered moments of calm between the spectacle. A high-neck top was ingeniously formed from two simple black panels tied at the sides, while pleated pink trousers caught the air with every step like a flag in a gentle breeze. A sheer white gown with a traditional Japanese neckline was topped with a sculptural headpiece reminiscent of a sweeping octopus, nodding to the sea voyage central to Momotarō’s tale.

Patterns and textures shifted from folkloric illustrations to fluid, abstract swirls, creating a sense of transition in this runway. I got the impression that APUJAN intended for the audience to travel with Captain Peach through islands of story and imagination. The collection’s colour palette, rich with electric, peach, and vermilion, heightened its dreamlike quality while keeping it rooted in cultural reverence.

APUJAN’s achievement lies in its balance: a collection brimming with whimsy and narrative depth, yet never tipping fully into costume. It was a reminder that fashion can be both a vessel for storytelling and a wardrobe for the everyday voyager. An extraordinary journey, indeed.

Words By: Anya Duncan
Images Courtesy: Black PR