Ryo Kashiwazaki

While Hender Scheme’s Ryo Kashiwazaki built his brand’s cult following through thoughtful and rarefied interpretations of the most coveted silhouettes in the sneaker industry, 2016 saw the Tokyo-based leatherworker and designer expand his repertoire via the introduction of original in-house shoe designs that decidedly struck a more avant-garde tone. Kashiwazaki continued to push his design sensibilities with the use of indigo-dyed leather construction, while also branching off from footwear and accessories to create leather clothing, most notably in the form of a covetable vegetable-tanned motorcycle jacket. On top of launching the brand’s first brick-and-mortar store and helming an exhibition in New York, Kashiwazaki managed to slip in enough time to design a limited edition magazine cover exclusive to the Artisanal Issue of Hypebeast Magazine. With seemingly unstoppable momentum, we’ll continue to eagerly look on Hender Scheme as Kashiwazaki aggressively expands his boundaries in 2017.