American pop culture and post-war Switzerland form the basis of Mihara Yasuhrio’s debut London collection
Ahead of his debut at London Collections Men, PORT caught up with the Tokyo-born designer, Mihara Yasuhiro, to learn more about his label Maison MIHARA YASUHRIO. Named ‘No Club Lone Wolf’, Yasuhiro’s collection sought its inspiration through Americana pop culture and the youth of post-war Switzerland.
“My inspiration is from a photo album called Rebel Youth, by Karlheinz Weinberger,” Yasuhiro explains. “The album is about a Swiss youth culture from late 50s and 60s and their hobbies.” .
Weinberger, an amateur photographer, managed to capture a scene that has rarely been documented. He candidly shot working-class teenagers in a post-war Switzerland, who adorned themselves in personalised, studded motorcycle jackets – a nod to the the Hells Angels – and denim, whilst accessorising with eccentric, industrial-like chains, pins and oversized belt buckles.
“When I was a child, I used to have an interest in youth cultures like this,” Yasuhrio adds. “They influence my design aesthetic a lot.”
