Faded memories — of music, historic moments and hand-me-down clothes — provided the inspiration for Mihara Yasuhiro.
Back in January, Mihara Yasuhiro said he was tired of the noise. Fast forward just a few months, and sound was the starting point for his spring collection, which built on the amplified thrift-store aesthetics he ushered out for fall.
With his “Lo-Fi Vision” collection, he looked back at memories of when he was a child and the moment he decided he wanted to enter fashion.
Yasuhiro was 10 when the Berlin Wall came down, and remembers the time, as well as his musical influences of the era — from punk, techno and acid house to rockabilly — he explained through an interpreter.
His silhouettes — like his clothes back then, hand-me-downs from his significantly taller older brother — were vastly oversize, with hoodies, denims and bomber jackets reaching almost to the floor.
But Yasuhiro’s memories are blurred and faded, informing the color palette for the collection, all in washed out, moody shades, even the super-fluid silk that was so delicate it had to be faded by hand.
Musicians’ outfits, heavily influenced by Americana, informed many of the shapes he drew from memory, like a varsity jacket so big it was more of a voluminous puffer cape were it not for the ribbed edges. A black cardigan, full of holes, was like a cloak. Satin jackets embroidered with traditional Japanese motifs, another performer favorite, also made their way into the giant lineup.
One such robe came full circle, finding its way on stage as one of the models hopped off the runway and grabbed the mic to join band Die Deutsche PostPunk performing live.
Yasuhiro accentuated the sense of nostalgia with accessories like bags and jewelry shaped like ghetto-blasters, cassette tapes and toy dinosaurs. Like the rest of the collection, these fun statement pieces were done with a tender hand, significant skill and admirable creativity.
