Workwear with a twist: Czech designer outfits Expo team
Fashion meets functionality at the Czech pavilion for this year’s Expo in Osaka. Designer Jan Černý has created a collection inspired by workwear — a nod to Japanese tradition and a reflection of his own design philosophy. He spoke to Vít Pohanka:
Rather than bright, flashy outfits, Jan Černý chose workwear for the Czech pavilion at Expo Osaka. The designer, who raised quite a few eyebrows by his unconventional outfits for the Czech team at the recent Paris Olympics, explained to Czech Radio why this style made perfect sense — both culturally and practically.
“In fact, workwear — which in English means work fashion — is a huge topic in Japan, something like jeans and denim jackets and trousers are for us. And that’s exactly how it is in Japan. At the EXPO, there will mainly be Japanese people; it’s always primarily the people who live in the country or are residents of the country. So they won’t see it as just overalls or work uniforms — on the contrary, I think they will see it as something that connects with their culture. At the same time, they’ll notice the details that are different and that, in a way, reflect our culture too.”
Černý says he looks for ways to connect cultures through design while staying true to his own values.
“It was similar with the Olympics — I always try to look for some kind of connection between our culture, or perhaps our lack of culture, and the culture of the country we’re visiting. Not in a way that we’re bowing down to them — I think we often have this tendency deeply rooted in us, to feel like we need to please the host country and go out of our way to show how submissive we are. But I didn’t see it like that at all, not with the Olympics and not with this either. I think we really have something to stand for. As a nation, for how small we are, we’re actually very capable. But of course, I believe it’s good to find something that serves as a common point of conversation. And I think clothing, in particular, could work really well in the pavilion to spark conversations between visitors and staff, for example.”
But creating a collection for such a wide audience wasn’t easy. Černý explains why he went for a unisex design.
“Because it’s not at all — and this is another part of the challenge — it’s not at all easy to create a collection that really fits most people, or ideally everyone, across the size range. And adding separate products specifically for men or specifically for women felt completely unnecessary to me. I actually prefer this idea of uniformity.
“I see EXPO a bit like an amusement park that’s built to last for half a year — it really is a bit like a safari. And I liked the idea that we would all be wearing the same clothes, like guides, in a way. At the same time, I think the era of those so-called ‘sexy hostesses,’ standing there as a sort of prey for male businessmen — I really hate that mentality myself — and I think it’s much better when we’re all on the same level, on the same wavelength. And hopefully, this uniform clothing will reflect that.”
One of the most distinctive features of Černý’s collection is its deliberately worn look, which he believes adds authenticity.
“It does make sense, because first of all, I think workwear like this is supposed to look a bit worn already. And second, I believe it’s also a nice way for us to stand out from the other pavilions. From what I’ve seen so far in the photos, most of them are going for these very dressed-up, brightly colored polyester creations — colors that you couldn’t even dye natural cotton with, they’re so vivid. So it really has to be synthetic fabric. But this is pure cotton, everything here is pure cotton, and it’s all been pre-washed.
“And personally, it’s been my lifelong belief that none of us live in a sterile, white box. We like a bit of patina, and we’re living creatures, not computers. We like it when we buy jeans that already have a little bit of fading on the seams, and they’re not perfectly, uniformly colored.
“Otherwise, they wouldn’t really be jeans — they’d just be some other kind of trousers. Or if a shirt already has some kind of print, or maybe a slight tie-dye effect, or a bit of pattern — that’s where I see the beauty. That patina, that kind of wear, already present in the clothes, it suddenly gives them more humanity.”
The Czech pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka is now open to visitors, with Jan Černý’s collection on full display.
