I've always loved Japanese animation (anime) and Manga (Japanese comic books aka "graphic novels"). They were how I made new friends growing up, often sharing our favorites and with my most artistic peers, drawing comic books ourselves.
Sequential art is such an amazing medium to combine text, illustration, and composition that can make the static as exciting and thrilling as any action-packed, live-action blockbuster. In fact, some incredibly popular movies (outside the universe of Marvel and DC) are based on comic books such as Bong Jun Ho's, "Snowpiercer", and Netflix's "Death Note" (a defining quintessential Anime in itself).
It's no secret that the Pandemic has greatly affected the fashion industry's relevance in a time where parties, networking, and fashionable first impressions are currently rare for most. Coming upon the first anniversary of the brand's debut at Tokyo Fashion Week, what better way to reintroduce the brand, tell our story, and create an opportunity beyond clothing and still share the experience of fashion with people?
Sequential art is a vocation in itself. I sought talent out and reviewed many portfolios of candidates, finally selecting Nozomi Uchida. She is an artist in Los Angeles whose sense of moody color and use of dynamic perspective lends itself powerfully to depict the reality of a life event, yet inject a wonderous sense of imagination that is evocative of the memories that still playout in my head today.
After almost 5 months of hard work, countless video calls refining the script into something short, sweet, yet special, I am so proud and excited to present what we hope to be the first of many graphic novels you can expect to come from our brand.
Inside you'll see the faces of the very real people, my friends, who went on this trip to help me present in Japan. Of course you can expect to see some of our favorite looks shown on the runway and jewelry and accessories available to shop this holiday season!
This 28-page, black and white and full-color collector's item is representative of the vision my team forges together, the musings of our brand models, the incredible talent of this wonderful artist, and my love affair for fashion, a language that can communicate anything you imagine it to say.