There is always a slight air of nostalgia to Children of the Discordance. For spring, this was made apparent by Hideaki Shikama’s inspiration, the Japanese city of Yokohama where he was born and raised. “I spent the ’90s in this city, so I incorporated elements of its street culture in the collection’s silhouettes and prints,” he said through a translator.
Yokohama is a harbor city south of Tokyo, one of the first Japanese ports to open to foreign trade in the 1850s. Shikama describes it as a melting pot of cultures, focusing particularly on the American west coast street subculture that influenced the city’s cultural landscape. Skaters, surfers, lowriders, and silhouettes popularized by hip-hop artists in the early ’90s were all present in the Yokohama of Shikama’s youth, just as they are in his spring offering, which he titled “Area Area” after the song by Ozrosaurus, a hip-hop group from Yokohama.
Yokohama’s graffiti came through as placed chenille and felt patches and graphic prints on bomber jackets and t-shirts. Most compelling was a distressed knit sweater with the faded graffiti wrapping around both shoulders. The artwork was made in collaboration with graffiti writer Sui. In knitwear, Shikama reimagined cable knit sweaters as side-seam zip vests and an airy crocheted hoodie.
Shikama’s upcycling is distinctive in that it exists as a consequence of his sensibility rather than a forced attempt at sustainability. Spring saw an update to his explorations with used and deadstock fabrics. His signature patchwork of deadstock bandana fabrics continued, but now with novelty printed fabrics added into the mix. The bandana fabrics now also appear as trims and details across denim and cut & sew knits, which unlocks a new space of experimentation to expand on in the future. The material novelty came via ’70s and ’80s leather coats cut apart and repurposed as patchworked vests, shorts, and panels for a jacket and pants. A blanket stitch patchwork used for a jacket and pants was the most striking iteration of the leather in the collection, but generally the material brought in a welcome textural element that provided a vintage feel to the very now offer.
As for silhouettes, Shikama stuck to his usual street-inspired styles, though what was perhaps the most compelling look was a tailored jacket paired with baggy trousers, a slight departure for Shikama. Both made in linen, they referenced the gangster culture of the ’90s. The jacket’s proportions were fresh and forward, with its short pointed lapels and elongated torso with curved hems. The trousers were cut cropped and wide, and featured a jacket sleeve placket on the outer side of each leg, finding a bridge between Shikama’s inspiration and the Japanese workwear that has become so popular in the west over the past few years.
All in all, there’s a consistent through line of laid-back coolness to Shikama’s work. It accurately captures the effortless alternative spirit of street culture, most likely because it’s done autobiographically. The same ’90s skater spirit that other brands are currently chasing, Shikama experienced in his youth. Needless to say, there’s no better moodboard than one’s own memories.
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