We linked up with Mihara Yasuhiro of Maison Mihara Yasuhiro ahead of his FW25 show to talk about his upcoming collection, what he’s been bumping during his creative process and even about his recent rise in popularity for his archive pieces.
You may know him for his melted-sole sneakers but his bag is a lot deeper than that. Although he was initially a footwear designer, he ventured into clothing and ready-to-wear in 1999 where, since then, he’s showcased his unique take on streetwear with avant-garde elements that include deconstructed, asymmetrical details that come from punk and workwear aesthetics. His love for imperfection and distortion is what gets us constantly coming back to his work, with such a distinct, experimental take on traditional silhouettes.
This season was no different, with a whole lot of distressed details that give the collection a dystopian, worn-in vibe. The vintage references he loves are there too, with nods to military wear (that everyone really seems to be loving) and that punk-like biker style. He really puts you in his world with his upside-down view on pieces (literally) with bomber and denim jackets flipped, creating such a unique shape emblematic of Mihara Yasuhiro.
Check out the interview with the designer himself below where he talks to us about it all.
Tell us about your new collection, what were the inspirations behind it?
“A Little Paradox part six: I express myself as if my values have not changed much in recent times. It continues with part six. I am tired of changing with the changing world. So, I put my value on what we enjoy when creating in my studio.”
You said over 10 years ago in an interview that you picked one creative to serve as the inspiration for a collection, do you still do that and, if so, who was your inspiration this season?
“I want to express an idea in its purest form. If the human figure gets in the way of that, I don't need it and therefore this season I have not drawn inspiration from someone but rather focused on things I have enjoyed creating over the years.”
You reference music a lot in your collections, why do you think it’s been so impactful in your creative process?
“Music is like architecture, it creates space and it evokes emotions. I am too serious, so I use the power of music to ease my mind a little.”
Who have you been listening to whilst you made this collection, any favourite artists or albums in general?
“I listen to different music every day. But lately I've been listening to music I used to listen to back in the day. I was listening to this album: True Love Waits (Christopher O’Riley Plays Radiohead).”
A lot of your designs have distressed and aged effects, how do these connect to your Japanese heritage and ideologies on imperfection like Wabi-Sabi?
“I find myself deeply influenced by Japan's ideology of imperfection, but I’ve also grown tired of being consciously aware of it. When I create distressed and aged designs, I think of them as if they’ve already been “worn” for 10 years. It’s an attempt to imagine how they would look after a decade of use. This creates a paradox of time—blurring the line between the past and the future. It’s a conceptual approach, but one I find fascinating because it challenges our sense of time in the present. This paradox is how I interpret and connect with the idea now.”
You have been getting some newfound attention over the past couple of years from the archive community as we’ve slowly uncovered your earlier collections and collaborations with Puma, how do you feel about your work from the ‘90s and 2000s and how people are appreciating your early designs?
“I am very happy that you have taken an interest in a time that has become a legend. Back then, there were no social networking sites and not as much information as there is now, so if you want to know what I did back then, it will take a lot of time and effort. I appreciate you using that energy to come across my past work.”
Do you have a favourite collection of yours?
“What I love about this job is that it constantly allows me to seek out or create the things I’m most passionate about. Therefore, I don’t necessarily have a favourite collection as each collection is different and reflects how I felt at that moment.”
Before clothes, your first love was footwear - what made you fall in love with shoes and why are they so important to you, even today?
“As an art student, I was exploring a way to create a connection between people and art. I became particularly fascinated by shoes, as they are objects made for people to wear. This theme has remained consistent for me. What has evolved is not the focus on art or fashion, but rather the perspective on them.”
Trompe l’oeil has reemerged in fashion in recent years with many brands starting to use this technique. As someone who’s been doing it for years, what do you think about the modern usage of this design in contemporary fashion?
“Even a single technique can have different meanings if the creator has a different philosophy. In particular, deceptive pictures evoke a variety of metaphors. It would be easier to understand if we say that fashion is the space between the everyday and the extraordinary that you can perceive from the deceptions”.
As a big vintage collector, what style and era of vintage do you gravitate to the most and why?
“My favourite vintage is not limited to a country or period. I collect them as materials if I have never seen them before. It is an important material for research.”
If your house was on fire, which one of your vintage items would you take with you?
“I don't want to imagine them on fire or something.”
All featured images via Maison Mihara Yasuhiro ©
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