The ageless Mihara Yasuhiro
Shortly after he stepped into Studio Dimensione in Taguig City for the “Meet the Designer” event during the launch of the weeklong pop-up for his eponymous brand Maison Mihara Yasuhiro (MMY), the Japanese artist-designer made his way to the DJ booth, immediately filling the space with party music.
Music, he told Lifestyle through a translator, is something close to his heart, having been exposed to rock, house, and hip-hop when he joined a music club when he was 11 years old. During the event, Mihara joined a group of people dancing to EDM (electronic dance music)—even moon-walking at one point—and basking in youthful energy. “As much as possible, I don’t want to forget the young feeling,” said the 52-year-old style icon.
Describing him as a “true visionary, known for his fearless style and groundbreaking approach to design,” Suyen Corp. vice president for business development Bryan Lim welcomed Mihara, who also recently served as judge at the just-concluded Bench Design Awards.
After meeting emerging Filipino designers, he was delighted to find that “the energy is more now,” compared to the last time he was in the country about six years ago. “I think it’s a good time for young people to be active, so I want them to continue creating new things.”
Looking youthful and cool himself with his platinum bowl cut, gray shirt, and loose charcoal denim pants that may or may not have had a recent encounter with a sticker-happy toddler, Mihara continues to create luxury streetwear that seems to defy aging. Despite the distressed and deconstructed designs—or perhaps precisely because of them—his effortless, uncomplicated style, merged with his artful pursuit of the “potential of time,” already lives in the future.
Effortless style
“It’s some kind of a time paradox,” he explained. “For example, in this T-shirt I am wearing, what I want to express is how the T-shirt will look in the future.”
By plucking out the design from an inevitable point further down the timeline, enriched with stories and life, and combining it with “high craftsmanship” and “masterful technique,” MMY may have well achieved sartorial immortality.
And the appeal is not lost on the fashionable set, whether they can afford the five-figure price tag or not, with plenty attempting to replicate his signature sneakers in particular.
“Of course, it’s a no-no to copy the name itself and the brand, but it’s okay for people to get inspired by the designs,” he said. “When we were young, we were influenced by a lot of things, like art, music, and fashion. So for us, it’s a good thing. Otherwise, fashion will not evolve.”
