HYKE received international acclaim for its ultra-stylish collaborations with The North Face but the Japanese label is so much more than a limited edition jacket or coat. HYKE's consistently pushing the envelope of minimalist womenswear and its Spring/Summer 2023 collection is as good a place as any to get the picture.
Yukiko Ode and Hideaki Yoshihara, HYKE's married founders, have been developing HYKE's distinctive brand vision since 2013, though they oversaw another brand and even a vintage store prior.
HYKE is sleek and chic but also rooted in the kind of retro workwear that the couple used to sell at their store. The slickness of contemporary minimalism is filtered through a rugged ethos that makes for garments both technical and trim.
The North Face was the perfect partner to spread HYKE's good word but the brand also collaborated with the likes of adidas, bag brand CHACOLI, and, most recently, Moncler to further extend its vision beyond Japan.
Still, in Japan alone, HYKE is a force to be reckoned with.
A truly niche imprint overseas, HYKE is a massive smash domestically, stocked in retailers as big as Isetan and Biotop and as small as the various micro-boutiques that populate every Japanese city.
Its making headway, though HYKE doesn't present its collections outside of Japan aside from a PR showroom here in New York City.
But HYKE still presents its seasonal collection in Japan, like it did on August 31 for its Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
A mélange of sweeping gowns, knit tunics, and puff-sleeve blouses, HYKE SS23 is a perfect example how effortlessly the brand blends disparate cues into a cohesive vision.
Alongside the more feminine items, HYKE introduces militaristic bombers and Pertex coats, jumpsuits formed from hardy denim, and collaborative PORTER bags inspired by army rucksacks, helmet bags, and shoulder-strapped pouches.
There's also a new Keen sandal collab that's, frankly, pretty excellent and maybe even HYKE's best footwear team-up to date.
Unlike most tech-y fashion mash-ups, HYKE's looks are the epitome of organic integration.
The result is a natural amalgam of utilitarian cues, the things that you normally only see from techwear brands, with fragile elegance. It's a tricky line to walk but HYKE's been taking the path less traveled since most designers ever considered styling rain coats with delicate dresses.
