Brand: NEIGHBORHOOD
Release Date: January 2
Buy: NEIGHBORHOOD's website and Japanese flagships
Editor's Notes: Stalwart streetwear imprint NEIGHBORHOOD has a big 2022 in store for its fans, teasing a pair of nifty pieces set to launch just after New Year's. Riffing on classic NEIGHBORHOOD staples, they're part throwback collectible and part look towards the future.
First up is a hardy varsity jacket cut from a thick melton wool, fitted with leather sleeves and quilted lining made of polyester taffeta. The main attraction is the anatomical skeleton appliqué that accents the front, back, and sides in a semi-realistic style.
Skele stuff has been en vogue for a few years thanks to labels like Supreme and Kapital but it's relatively old hat for NEIGHBORHOOD.
Founder Shinsuke Takizawa's biker fascination inspired boney NEIGHBORHOOD garments years before the trend was even truly quantified — like so many of its Ura-Hara peers, NEIGHBORHOOD is nothing if not a trendsetter.
So it goes for the second item dropping in early 2022, a giant middle finger incense chamber that's equally retro and steeped in tough-guy biker posturing.
This is a nod to another OG NEIGHBORHOOD design, demonstrating Takizawa's knack for creating instantly memorable imagery.
Perhaps because they're both riffs on old school NEIGHBORHOOD memorabilia, the jacket and incense chamber are each limited edition: only 84 jackets and 50 chambers will ever be produced, the latter individually signed by Takizawa.
Speaking of throwbacks, NEIGHBORHOOD is also dropping a brief capsule with Bounty Hunter, another Harajuku streetwear legend.
It's all pretty standard fare — co-branded hoodies, tees, and buttons — but the best bit is by far the two-headed "Skull-Kun" toy, a reference to both Bounty Hunter's characteristic mascot and the brand's fascination with collectible toys.
