Japanese stylist, Ken Kakinuma, lives and breathes Rock ‘n’ Roll, skateboarding and street culture. Explaining that a recent boom of a Rock ‘n’ Roll skate scene is looming in Tokyo, he has noticed a shift in the culture at Harajuku, where street culture/style has been flourishing over the last two years.
Harajuku is also where Mimic/+8 Paris Rock – a label jointly established by Ken and fellow influential designer Masa Ichihara – is located at. Having worked at Fred Segal (Los Angeles/USA) as a buyer with Ron Herman, the style-savvy lover of Rock has styled for prominent names such as Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Lenny Kravitz, Char, Dreams Come True and more.
There’s no guessing what Ken’s style, or even life philosophy is. It’s Rock ‘n’ Roll all the way. Deriving his creative inspirations from rock music, Ken embraces the spirit of rock in all aspects of his life.
Going against the grain like a rock star, Ken does not use fashion models in his runway shows. Instead, he sends musicians and skaters strutting down the runway in his designs, as they are able to exude the character and attitude that he wants to portray. He explained, “Walking down the runway is nothing, no problem. Presenting the right atmosphere is very important to me.”
