Sameheads has served as a Berlin-based gathering point for independent creatives for 10 years now, and the group is finally making its way to Tokyo for a pop-up event at Dog Harajuku this weekend.
Although the art collective combines artists with backgrounds in fashion, art, music and film under one roof, the pop-up event will focus on one-of-a-kind fashion pieces. The 13 designers selected – all long-term collaborators in the Sameheads showroom – each created a fresh collection for the Japan event. Although loosely connected through the theme of colors and textures found in precious stones, each collection emphasizes the viewpoint and design aesthetics of the individual designer.
In the run-up to the event, we had a quick chat with RaKi, fashion artist and organizational mastermind of the creative bunch, to find out more about her personal visionary output and her overall expectations for the pop-up.
Tell us a little more about your own work and specifically the Japan collection.
I combine new textiles and pattern-making with rediscovered vintage treasures to create one-off-piece collections for men and women. I’m addicted to travel, so exotic materials and inspiration are collected along the way to form the basis of the next collection. This freeform approach to the design process helps create a freedom from the pressure of mass production. This makes any general description of my work a difficult task, but certainly a sense of playfulness, recycling, exciting color and pattern combinations, elegance and a certain folkloric influence are all present.
For this occasion, I united forces with the artist Octavio Garabello to produce a unique collaboration collection that’s exclusively for Japan. One-off pieces that combine real-size digital prints and hand silkscreens of the original canvas from the artist with my own special touches (think oversized, patchwork, handmade and unisex). I will be on hand at the event to show my clothes and discuss any potential future collaborations in-store.
What are your hopes for the pop-up event?
Obviously we’d love to have interest in the items we are bringing from Berlin to Tokyo … Japanese people trying things on, having fun with it. Perhaps combining or integrating our pieces into their own weird and wonderful looks. Another huge hope would be to establish a long-term relationship with the showrooms based in Japan and the possibility to create a platform for Japanese fashion and music artists in Berlin. That would be great.
What would you want visitors to know before coming to the pop-up shop?
That our Japanese is terrible, but we are masters of alternative forms of communication!
Participating Sameheads designers:
Anto Christ & Casio Ono, Ambra Fiorenza Berlin, Bersailles, Halo Labels, House of Doll, Jackie Taylor, KET VOID, MAGPIE, Nathan French, RaKi, The Bronze Medal, tHERAPY Recycle & Exorcise, TRICOMA
More info on the event: www.tokyoweekender.com/events/sameheads-pop-japan/
