Oakley, Bagjack, C.P. Company, ArkAir: Which High-Tech Jacket *Doesn't* Get a Junya Collab?
Junya Watanabe does a lot of collaborations. But you probably don’t need me to tell you this, if you’ve ever browsed through one of the Japanese label’s seasonal collections or stalked the rails of Dover Street Market (the most encompassing stockist of all things Junya), then you’ll have come to the same conclusion.
So, the designer unleashing a barrage of co-branded goods for Spring/Summer 2025 isn’t an abnormality. However, just how many different types of technical jackets are included in the collection is a surprise, even by Junya’s standards.
In total, I count five separate collaborations, all focused on weather-defeating outerwear in the latest arrivals from Junya Watanabe. And that isn’t accounting for its expansive range of experimental Levi’s jackets or its debut Cactus Plant Flea Market selection, both of which dropped concurrently.
All of these outerwear creations rely on returning favorites from Junya Watanabe’s expansive collaborators list.
C.P. Company is back on the Junya collaborator train, marking their third partnership. As with last season, the duo is creating a full-length parka with a goggle-adorned hood that transforms into a full face-covering mask.
It’s a feature taken from the archives but one that C.P. Company rarely deploys. Part-mask, part-jacket creations of this ilk are something of a collectible and Junya’s limited-edition £1,440 version (about $1,860) comes with extra pockets added across the front (which, of course, means extra functionality). Plus, there’s an equally pocket-laden tactical vest available this season.
Doubling down on pockets is a common theme on Junya outerwear. An Alpha Industries biker jacket from this season, lined with the brand’s signature bright orange inner, also has pockets atop of pockets decorating the front (two front flap side pockets, two side zip pockets, one chest zip pocket, plus more pocket space on the sleeve).
It’s a similar pocket-heavy story on Junya’s Oakley utility jacket, but if these don’t offer you enough carrying space, then there’s also the option of Junya Watanabe x Bagjack.
A Berlin-based maker of hard-wearing backpacks, Junya has incorporated Bagjack's handmade bags into the design of a jacket. It’s a nifty two-in-one, a sleek workwear-inspired outerwear with the luggage space of a backpack.
And finally, rounding out this techy outerwear extravaganza, there's ArkAir. The brand, founded by two ex-Royal Marines, launches a liner jacket made in Japan from bright orange nylon — a classic military-inspired release for Junya Watanabe.
In fact, this is all classic Junya. The brand has refitted the signature outerwear (or, in one case, backpack) of each of these five partners with high-end fabric specifications and utility-driven details. It’s an approach the brand has honed over years of constant collaborations, and it’s one that continues to deliver.
These jackets aren't reinventing the wheel, but they are subtly elevated pieces of Watanabe-tier craftsmanship.
