“Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form,” once said Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and it’s not hard to see why those words stayed with Yusuke Takahashi. They could easily be used to describe the “Clothing for Contemporary Life” brand he has been pursuing.

When he encountered the home Aalto shared with wife Aino Aalto and the Paimio Sanatorium they designed, he was struck by their design philosophy of architecture and connection to nature as part of a patient’s recovery.

“I began asking myself, ‘What if clothing could feel as comfortable as a welcoming room?’” said the designer, who has been approaching heavy topics like circularity in fashion, our troubled times and an ever-warming world with a light touch and an optimistic, color-filled stance. Now he’s adding a layer of sophistication to that.

To wit: Spring’s lightweight silhouettes, where volumes bloomed and transparency created interplays of color between clothing and skin that suggested sunlight filtering through a building.

Standouts included a soft suit with balloon trousers in a dusty lilac, a sleeveless dress with textured stripes and a long handkerchief collar, double-layer trousers with a corded gather at the waist for adjutable volumes and a dramatic dip-dyed ruffled confection.

Some outfits featured silver jewels, such as a torque with endings shaped like CFCL’s bestselling Pottery model used as a dress’ collar and a pin used to hold a gathered panel in place. They came courtesy of a collaboration with 90-year-old Finnish jeweler Kalevala — the original purpose of Takahashi’s trip to the country.

The designer said in light of CFCL’s push to expand globally, he wanted to step it up with more handwork, evolved techniques and a yarn palette that now includes organic cottons and silky acetate, usually obtained from wood.