The rules don’t exist for Ha.Mu. The brainchild of Mamuro Oki and Abraham Guardian stands firm on designing based on experimental creativity alone. What started as a joke between two creatives, Oki and Guardian eventually decided to pursue their line after their projects in school kept getting compared with one another. Thereafter, Ha.Mu, a coalescence of whimsical ideas that showcases both designers’ tastes, was born. Being young and new to the industry, Oki and Guardian have flourished throughout their journey and are currently thriving as up and coming sartorial virtuosos, all the while sticking to their strong-shouldered authenticity. “We started out with making custom pieces for friends and eventually started doing pieces for iconic people in the fashion industry,” the designers share. Soon, they started getting recognition from several fashion magazines in the country. For the season and early 2018, they are expanding with a prêt-à-porter range with a collection that tells a story on the in-between points of two parallel universes clashing, each carefully handcrafted item speaking for itself. The pieces are something that’s rarely seen in regular ready-to-wear—elevating and ultimately changing the game and staying authentic to their quirky artisanal style.
“The pieces highlight a fusion of peculiar personalities and how they become a whole, often resulting in a beautiful but tragic mess that holds a lot of meaning,” illustrate the designers. Admittedly, they describe their aesthetic as similar to a clown, striking and evocative of emotion. Mixed fabrics, reversible pieces, and overall fun clothes that are editorial-worthy in every sense.
When asked on the mark they hope to leave in fashion, Oki and Guardian were crystal on their perspective. “We hope that we can leave an impact where people are not afraid to express their creativity in their own unique way, even if it means looking like a fool. Sometimes that can help you to bring forward your voice to the table for people to actually listen and observe what you have to offer.” The vision is clear with Ha.Mu: it’s not just clothes but an emblem of inspiration for young creatives who are reluctant to fully express themselves. Breaking the barriers of gender norms, Ha.Mu goes by their terms and challenges the limits of clothing, transforming every garment into a work of art.
feature image from Ha.Mu
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