Children
of the discordance
Hideaki Shikama’s Children of the discordance has quietly produced ever-more sophisticated designs since its debut Spring/Summer 2011 collection, never losing touch with the core tenets that make the brand so distinctive. Channeling wanton DIY deconstruction, laid-back sportswear and Shikama’s Japanese heritage, Children of the discordance fiercely resists easy categorization, thanks to offerings that are simultaneously wide-ranging and cohesive. The sheer variety of influences which shape Shikama’s work draws from cultures that span the globe—as such, the designer appropriately recruits artisans from different countries to construct the label’s post-punk garments.
Not only are Children of the discordance’s collections borderless, but the brand works with a variety of skilled workers as disparate as Mexican weavers and Palestinian refugees to create the brand’s wares. Shikama’s emphasis on contemplative craft emphasizes CotD’s relevance in our inconceivably connected world. Each season is a truly global effort, utilizing skilled, well-paid labor from across the globe to create fleshed-out looks.
This phenomenon underscores CotD’s relevance to modern consumers; we want clothing that matches our fast-paced, Instagram-fueled tastes, but more and more of us refuse to accept the timely churn of fast-fashion as the only option. This feeling intensifies when considering the pressure placed upon workers by the endless cycle of disposable clothing. How can workers be paid a living wage when the end result is priced to be tossed out after a couple wears? That’s where designers like Shikama come in.
Militaristic parkas, Frankenstein shirts, shaggy sweaters and knee-length skater shorts crop up throughout CotD’s seasonal lines, with few themes carrying over across seasons. Shikama freely explores every winding path in his imagination, meaning a single season may juxtapose double rider’s jackets and gentlemanly slacks, shredded jeans and prim trench coats. In particular, patchwork detailing is a consistent motif, often yielding slim jeans and classic trench coats reworked with aggressive raw-hem panels or elegant geometric shapes of contrasting fabrics—whichever suits Shikama’s mood best.
However, Children of the discordance’s releases are nothing if not varied. For example, Shikama’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection delivered billowing ponchos, slouchy jeans, checkerboard coats, shearling vests and a Rage Against The Machine T-shirt. Just a season later, Shikama delved into generous bomber jackets, rebuilt Levi’s denim, hand-scrawled graffiti print and Joy Division references, anchored by a collaboration with sneaker upcycler, RECOUTURE. The Japanese footwear imprint has been crafting leather-wrapped takes on classic sneakers for years, imbuing familiar silhouettes with a wonky individualism not too far removed from CotD’s own oeuvre.
Never has the future looked brighter for Children of the discordance; Spring/Summer 2020 was just shown in Pitti Uomo and Paris to a swathe of international buyers, capped by a surprise collaboration with Yamaha motors. Western stockists ranging from LN-CC to Maxfield LA have been swayed by CotD’s covetable bandana shirts and lived-in militaria, while a hearty base of Japanese storefronts that include BEAMS, NUBIAN, Studious and B2'nd continue to pledge their support.
We sat down with Shikama to explore the roots of the brand, discuss his approach to design and consider the trajectory of Children of the discordance.
“The fact that I spent my youth in a variety of crossover cultures makes Children of the discordance a sort of 'genre-free' brand.”
It all began with designer friends of mine and me making printed T-shirts and reconstructing other pieces on our days off. I was working as an in-house designer for SHIPS JET BLUE during the week back then, running a brand in a corporate environment with this conundrum of balancing creativity with business. Because of the logistical support I received from the company, I was required to follow certain compliances and achieve a set number of sales, which made it hard for me to say that the brand was 100 percent of what I wanted to create.
Having said that, I’m extremely grateful and fortunate to have had these experiences. They made me who I am and put me where I am today. After I left that job, I decided to commit to what I really desired to create in 2011 and began Children of the discordance.
Since I was a little kid, I have always been a black sheep. I never wanted to wear what other people wore or listen to what other people listened to. The word “discordance” represents my gratitude toward those cultures that I grew up with, like fashion, music and skating.
The core of each design is always in my head. I keep updating and marinating those designs in my brain for a long time. When I draw them out on paper with pen, everything down to the smallest detail is fully explored. We then proceed to patternmaking with almost no alterations. I go through a similar process for graphics and textile design. I spend more time thinking about designs with this process, but I think that it helps improve the quality of the end products.
Inspiration-wise, I’d say films, old music videos and skate videos. I blend that with my personal archives (I’m a bit of a collect-o-holic—I still have clothes I have worn since I was little) and how I feel—my current mood, so to speak—when thinking about new designs. It’s like using sampling to create hip-hop songs.
I’ve worn many diverse styles of clothing since my obsession with clothes began in the early 90s. Back then, the word “vintage” meant something that existed way before I was even born. “Vintage” today includes what I was wearing when I was young and some garments from my personal collection, as those items have been around for about 30 years or so now.
I particularly like the styles that branch from skating and hip-hop, hardcore and punk cultures. I have also been influenced by Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela and Raf Simons, though Harajuku street culture in the ʼ90s has always been my backbone. The fact that I spent my youth in a variety of crossover cultures makes Children of the discordance a sort of “genre-free” brand.
I spent two summers in NYC in ’94 and ’95. These experiences impacted my personal growth beyond description. NYC street and East Coast hip-hop culture back then still forms a major part of who I am today.
My motivation for designing and how I run the brand have drastically changed since 2016. Since then, I’ve become more observant of the environment in which my designs dwell.
I began working with International Gallery BEAMS in Tokyo around then, and they sold some of our re-constructed pieces that I created with my atelier partner, Naoto Yoshida. As we launched each collection, a growing number of customers contacted the store to inquire about our pieces because everything sold out the day it was put out on the floor. We started to receive more overseas inquiries from Instagram posts around that time, too. I think our denim pants and trench coats made from vintage pieces made our brand more accessible for a global audience.
Receiving the TOKYO FASHION AWARD in 2017 accelerated this throughout 2018. Despite all our success with BEAMS, our biggest breakthrough was definitely our recent patchwork bandana collection.
“It really should just be a thing that everyone does, but doing what makes me happy has been an absolute highlight.“
It’s not necessarily that I prioritize fair trade practice, but that I always aim to create a working environment where everyone involved in our production process is happy to work with us. Out of utter respect for the craftspeople we work with, we do not negotiate any discounts on their fee. I believe that this manifests through the quality of the products we create together.
I received the opportunities to work with Palestine’s Hirbawi Textile Factory and with a Mexican fabric provider called AZLN, both of which actually came to fruition due to my love of hip-hop and hardcore culture. I was doing some digging on musicians’ backgrounds, like what they wore and why. That clued me in to the [aforementioned] fabrics and textiles providers. We began to work with them shortly after, and our relationship naturally developed into the “fair trade” practice we have today.
The importance of ethical craft aside, I like to work with people who have good vibes. If they’re unhappy or if they’re in some kind of trouble, I want to do everything I can to help them.
Skilled embroiderers, shoemakers, weavers, traditional craftspeople, vintage clothing dealers, company representatives – these people are CotD family members who help me continue creating clothing. My biggest joy is seeing all these people get excited over the finished collection. It’s this genuine connection with people which lets me create these goods, rather than just the term “fair trade.”
In 2019, we’ve secured a stable supply of vintage materials. Also, communication with embroidery craftspeople and atelier staff has been going very well.
DESIGNER HIDEAKI SHIKAMA IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR
HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE:
THE RHYTHMS ISSUE
THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE ISSUE 26: THE RHYTHMS ISSUE AS “Stitched in Heritage”. FIND OUT MORE HERE.
THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE ISSUE 26: THE RHYTHMS ISSUE AS “Stitched in Heritage”. FIND OUT MORE HERE.
International Influences with
International Influences with
DESIGNER HIDEAKI SHIKAMA IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE:
THE RHYTHMS ISSUE
Children
of the discordance
“I never wanted to wear what other people wore or listen to what other people listened to. The word 'discordance' represents my gratitude toward those cultures that I grew up with, like fashion, music and skating.”
“It’s not necessarily that I prioritize fair trade practice, but that I always aim to create a working environment where everyone involved in our production process is happy to work with us.”
“It’s not necessarily that I prioritize fair trade practice, but that I always aim to create a working environment where everyone involved in our production process is happy to work with us.”
Tell us about the beginning of Children of the discordance.
What does "Children of the Discordance" mean to you?
Can you describe your design process?
Tell us about your connection to vintage clothing.
Can you break down your biggest influences?
What was the first time you felt like the label started to gain recognition?
How exactly do you work with fair trade products? What countries do you work with and why is ethicality important to you?
What's gone well for the brand this year?
“The fact that I spent my youth in a variety of crossover cultures makes Children of the discordance a sort of 'genre-free' brand.”
Tell us about the beginning of Children of the discordance.
What does "Children of the Discordance" mean to you?
Can you describe your design process?
Tell us about your connection to vintage clothing.
Can you break down your biggest influences?
What was the first time you felt like the label started to gain recognition?
How exactly do you work with fair trade products? What countries do you work with and why is ethicality important to you?
What's gone well for the brand this year?
“Around 12 years old, I picked up my first spray can, went to town and started painting.”