Brand: MISTERGENTLEMAN x G-SHOCK

Season: Fall/Winter 2021

Buy: MISTERGENTLEMAN, THE CONTEMPORARY FIX, and ZOZOTOWN from July 22

Editor's Notes: It's hard to believe that influential Tokyo-based streetwear brand MISTERGENTLEMAN has never done a G-SHOCK collab. The long-running label has done partnerships with plenty of other brands, like bagmaker Outdoor Products and quirky shoemaker SAKIAS, but a tie-up with the influential watch label eluded MISTERGENTLEMAN, until now. For their first joint effort, the two companies have served up a suitably low-key timepiece rooted in MISTERGENTLEMAN's inimitable design cues — this one's for the heads.

The classic G-SHOCK DW-5600e is at the center of the affair, its charmingly clunky shape updated with a three-dimensional protector around the case. This extra bit of practicality plays into the militaristic design that also informs the watch's beige case and muted black strap. That beige hue is a brand staple, drawn from MISTERGENTLEMAN's frequent flips of functional inspiration that transform utilitarian garments into something far more fashion-forward. The collaborative DW-5600e is capped by co-branding on the rear of the case and a special box.

MISTERGENTLEMAN hasn't done any major collaborations since the passing of its founder, influential Japanese designer and musician Takeshi "Big O" Osumi, earlier this year. After leading sought-after brands Swagger and Phenomenon, Osumi took MISTERGENTLEMAN in a more elevated direction.

Though Phenomenon was his initial crossover from the Tokyo streetwear scene into proper runway looks, MISTERGENTLEMAN was his most refined, luxurious imprint, becoming especially advanced over the years — witness Osumi's final runway show for evidence. Osumi never lost sight of his street roots, however, as this G-SHOCK collab indicates.