Why Vik Tailor of MKI Was Destined to Become a Menswear Designer
How the successful British label was inspired by one fashion-savvy group of Japanese kids.
Hailing from a line of tailors and product designers, Vik Tailor first entered the fashion industry when he opened doors to his humble shop in Leeds in 2010, where neon lamps illuminate Tailor’s seasonal selection of standout pieces from brands like COMME des GARÇONS and Saint James.
While researching the 1950s-era Ivy League Look, Tailor discovered the Miyuki-Zoku, a fashion-obsessed youth tribe from Japan who strongly identified with the Ivy Style and brought the American trend out East in the early ’60s. And so came the birth of MKI Miyuki-Zoku, the multi-brand retailer, creative space and webstore which remain encompassed under the MKI Miyuki-Zoku label. Few can successfully achieve affordable price points with uncompromising quality, and Tailor takes age-old streetwear silhouettes like simple bombers and updates them with a contemporary edge. Collection after collection, the Leeds-based store and label continues to solidify MKI as a real, cohesive brand with bold silhouettes that are as refreshing as they are uncomplicated.
View our exclusive interview with Tailor above, and browse through MKI’s latest collections at their webstore and at HBX.
