The collaboration between Junya Watanabe and Slam Jam reflects a relationship built over time, grounded in mutual understanding and a shared belief that garments can operate as tools, symbols, and cultural bridges. So, why is it called Savonarola Ascetic Jacket? We wanted to create a jacket that could express Slam Jam origins. Our story begins in 1989 in Ferrara, Italy. The city is historically shaped by tension between discipline and expression, order and rebellion. It is within this cultural landscape that the figure of Girolamo Savonarola becomes relevant.
Born in 1452, Savonarola rose to prominence through his apocalyptic sermons. He was a radical voice of restraint and moral rigor, preaching against excess, ornament, and superficiality. His vision of asceticism was uncompromising: subtraction as strength, discipline as identity. While his historical legacy remains controversial, the principles he embodied — austerity, purpose, and conviction — resonate strongly with the conceptual foundation of the jacket.
Walking through Ferrara today, one can encounter a statue of Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola. He stands elevated on a block of wood, a clear reference to his death: executed and burned for his uncompromising positions. See this jacket as the uniform that stands for clothing as a system: conceived to endure, and defined by intent.These values sit at the core of Slam Jam’s identity and align seamlessly with Watanabe’s ongoing exploration of workwear and utility.
An ascetic object by design, a uniform shaped by the tension between chaos and order. Chaos Is Order. The Junya Watanabe Man Slam Jam Savonarola Ascetic Jacket is available exclusively at Slam Jam doors worldwide.
Junya Watanabe MAN
Slam Jam Savonarola Ascetic Jacket Black
