AKIRA NAKA
AKIRA NAKA is a Japanese womenswear label founded by designer Akira Naka, who launched it in 2007 after training in Antwerp. It is known for couture-like knitwear and cut jacquards finished by Japanese artisans.
| Founded | 2007, as POESIE |
|---|---|
| Renamed | AKIRA NAKA from SS09 |
| Founder | Akira Naka |
| Award | Tokyo Collection Best Debutante |
| Website | akiranaka.com |
What is AKIRA NAKA?
AKIRA NAKA is the label of Japanese designer Akira Naka. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and trained under a knitwear designer there before returning to Japan in 2006.
History
Naka started his first label, POESIE, in 2007. From the Spring/Summer 2009 season he renamed it AKIRA NAKA and presented at the Tokyo Collection, where he received the Best Debutante Award that year. The brand has also shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi.
Products and positioning
The brand's concept is Wearing the attitude. Rather than drawing on Tokyo street style or avant garde design, it blends Western and Japanese aesthetics, rooted in Japanese traditions of beauty. Its signatures include:
- Three-dimensional cutting
- Couture-like knit pieces with refined silhouettes
- Cut jacquards
- Textiles finished by hand by Japanese artisans
Why it matters
AKIRA NAKA is part of a group of Japanese designers trained in Antwerp who have built refined, craft led womenswear labels, showing how Japanese textile artisanship can underpin a contemporary designer brand.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the designer behind AKIRA NAKA?
The label is designed by Akira Naka, a Japanese designer who studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
What is AKIRA NAKA known for?
It is known for couture-like knitwear, cut jacquards and three-dimensional cutting finished by Japanese artisans.