Like many designers in Tokyo this season, Hyke’s Hideaki Yoshihara and Yukiko Ode spoke about looking to their past for the Fall collection. The brand, which the couple launched in 2013, has been crafting technical wear into cool-looking casual staples long before it became the trendy thing to do, and has built a loyal fanbase for its tasteful outdoorsy offering.
“We wanted to go back to basics while keeping everything high quality but also functional,” said Ode. The designers managed this by continuing their use of utilitarian fabrics; they incorporated Polartec into faux sheepskin gilets (sometimes cropped, sometimes longer), while faux leather made from recycled polyurethane was used for sleek-looking skirts and bomber jackets. Everything unfolded in mostly monochrome, with a few pops of orange. The beige trench coats, wonderfully clean, were the standouts of the collection, while the too-high-waisted trousers and corduroy corsets added points of necessary intrigue.
The brand also continued its collaboration with Chacoli which brought new backpacks, and with The North Face on some running vests and minimal-looking separates. The latter partnership is very popular in Japan: Hyke’s spring collection dropped last week and the North Face pieces have already sold out, said Ode.
Overall this was a pleasant collection, but there’s an underlying feeling in recent seasons that Hyke is standing still. There’s plenty of charm left in the brand’s consistency to be sure, but there will come a time when taking a step forwards, rather than looking back, will be necessary.
