5 Japanese Designers in Their 20s That Are Going to Be the Next Big Three
Text Kaijiro Masuda（Fashion Journalist）
Kaijiro Masuda is a fashion journalist who covered more than 250 fashion shows a year and has been watching thousands of exhibitions over the years. For this irregular series of columns, he picks out the Japanese brands that you should know now. In this five-part series, he looks at Japanese brands in their twenties that are going to be the next big three. This time we'll be looking at COGNOMEN.
A rising star bringing football, Britain and mode together
I've always thought that there is a number of people in the Japanese fashion industry who have experienced playing football. Not to mention Atsuhiko Mori of WACKO MARIA, who was a star player in the early days of the J-League, and there are many designers and people in the press who have either been involved in football in earnest or are still playing 5-a-side or football for fun. But when it comes to brands that incorporate football into fashion, apart from SOPH.'s F.C.R.B., it's hard to think of any.
Even looking at it from a global perspective, there are not many streetwear or fashion brands that incorporate elements of football, apart from Koché, which has incorporated British 90s hooliganism and football uniforms into its collections. Football is the second most popular sport in the world with about 450 million players, followed by basketball with 250 million players, but the difference in the way it is featured in fashion is even bigger than the difference in the number of players.
COGNOMEN's Michael Hitoshi Oe has also been passionate about football since he was a child. When he was a student, he played against Yoshinori Muto who now plays for Vissel Kobe, so he must have played football to become a professional. Most young footballers give up becoming professional when they finish high school or university. It must have been a very tough experience, but Oe made that decision when he decided to go to Bunka Fashion College. But maybe he had already decided to get involved in football in a different way since then.
The brand name COGNOMEN means "third name, nickname" in Latin. The concept of the brand is "to create a new image of a person based on past and present encounters, and to create products that make people want to give them nicknames". Looking back on past encounters, football and his mother's home country, England, have been essential elements for Oe. COGNOMEN clothes are a fusion of these two elements and his ongoing influences.
The theme for S/S 2022 is "INTERSECTION". The overall impression of the collection was that it was more mode than ever, with a more genderless feel and a touch of sensuality. There were many knitwear pieces such as a paisley patterned knit vest, MA-1 style knit top, and completely waterproof tech knitwear.
As for the football elements, there was a cut-and-sewn item with his primary school's number "11" printed on the back, which he has made every season since the first collection as well as a chef jacket with football uniform sleeves. The 90's style of saggy trousers, which seems to be emerging as a trend, somehow makes me picture Oe's naughty high school days.
This is only his fourth season, but he says he wants to show his clothes at runway show as soon as possible in the future, which is very encouraging. The number of stockists is steadily increasing, and leading retailers such as NUBIAN and st company have already started working with the brand. Personally, I would like to see a collaboration with a sports brand soon. And I would love to see the first show in a football stadium!
Designer Profile
Michael Hitoshi Oe was born in 1992, in Tokyo. He has been passionate about football since he was a child. Graduated from Bunka Fashion College in 2015. He was working for a Japanese fashion brand as a product planner focusing on knitwear and became a freelancer in 2019. He started COGNOMEN from A/W 2020 season.
