NEIGHBORHOOD
Named in respect to the Harajuku community that it had a hand in bringing about, Neighborhood is the kind of brand that asks to be taken at face value. Founder Shinsuke Takizawa broke into the market in 1994 the same way that many Tokyo mainstays have, starting as an import-based retailer that specialized in American and British made clothing. The brand’s inspirations couldn’t be sourced and then sold to scale, so instead of resigning to a market of one-offs, Takizawa began designing his own clothing the following year, taking inspiration largely from American biker culture and the British punk movement. Easy Rider, the Sex Pistols, big box American brands and designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier informed a rich, layered language through which the brand could communicate. First came a pair of overalls, then a denim focused output that was washed and treated to look as though it were vintage. Each collection is composite, pulling from a large swathe of references rooted in the mid to late 20th century, but it draws its following in to see each part of the veneer. Neighborhood is an absolute pioneer of Ura-Harajuku streetwear, and while it’s never played by the rules, it is nothing short of an institution.
