Essentials: MIHARAYASUHIRO

Tokyo-based fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro, well-known for his partnership with PUMA that began over 13 years ago and his eponymous menswear label MIHARAYASUHIRO, is riding off the recent success of his collaborative 2013 fall/winter collection with the athletic apparel mainstay. The apparel and footwear designer who made his start in 1994 has come leaps and bounds in applying his modernist style of design to sneakers and is responsible for one of PUMA’s best-selling Black Label collaborations. Constantly reaching out to the diverse street culture of Harajuku – a popular shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo - as a source of inspiration, Mihara is not one to shy away from eye-catching embellishments such as fur, studs and metallic objects in his innovative aesthetic. Moving on from his muted, monochromatic and distinctly urban approach seen in his earlier work, Mihara is constantly pushing the boundaries of his respective realm. In Mihara Yasuhiro’s Essentials, the most obvious item that comes to light is the six-year old custom vintage-style bicycle that Mihara travels to the studio on every day. Other notable items include practical pieces from his own MIHARAYASUHIRO imprint such as a waist pouch, pants strap, wallet and coin purse.