“We were interested in seeing two visual languages align, like two wardrobes recognising each other”: Omar Afridi creative director Jun Kikuta tells Man About Town.
This Omar Afridi and Vuja Dé collaboration is a big deal. The former is a Japanese-led label based in London with a technical take on menswear, the latter a brand located in Tokyo and rooted in minimalism with nods to workwear and military archetypes.
Both operating in the highly competitive and demanding Japanese menswear space, there’s a long line of acts they have to follow, from legends like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto to contemporaries like BEAMS and N.Hoolywood. Meticulousness, craftsmanship and fitment all need to be perfected and just because you’re a Japanese label doesn’t automatically get you any of these things, it’s a badge you have to earn.
For Omar Afridi and Vuja Dé though, it’s safe to say that this badge is extremely obvious for everyone to see. And with a clear overlap in visual language despite being on opposite sides of the world, this joint effort makes a lot of sense.
“We’d both been aware of each other for a while, watching as contemporaries from the same generation,” said Jun Kikuta, creative director of Omar Afridi. “There were clear parallels in audience and aesthetic, even though our languages differ. That quiet mutual awareness was already there.”
Headed by creative director Jun Kikuta and Hayate Ichimori as the brand’s designer since 2018, Omar Afridi has combined its Afghan roots with a disruptive approach to fashion, often subverting existing images through fabric experimentation or hardware placement.
Vuja Dé lends itself to a similar space. Founder and creative director Ken Ijima reimagines familiar silhouettes to create a fresh perspective on everyday ready-to-wear, looking to local fabric traditions and artisans in Japan to stay true to their commitment of essentialism and nuanced utilitarianism.
Since their first meeting at Omar Afridi’s Autumn/Winter 2024 showroom in Paris, the two brands’ connection came easily. It was natural and casual, and that notion was clearly translated into this fluid four-piece collection. “The starting point wasn’t about defining strict rules. It was about following what felt joyful: openness, unpredictability, and the conversations along the way,” says Ijima. “Somewhere in the process, the collaboration shifted from something planned to something discovered.”
What they came to find was how seamless it was to blend both brands’ ethos, with Kikuta saying, “[Omar Afridi] brings architectural discipline, the silhouettes, the panel logic, the construction. [Vuja Dé] adds a quieter emotional tone, a sensitivity to time, presence, and texture. When those two meet, the pieces feel intentional but still leave room for interpretation and depth.”
With that being said, the intimate offering completes a full “Noir” look, from a jacket and jeans to a belt and bag. The first of the all-black capsule is the Harvey Panelled Blouson, a full zip jacket cut from a double-weave suede that resembles a field jacket. The panel references cubist logic with concealed pockets shaping the silhouette to create a sculptural yet fluid and understated outerwear piece. “When two distinct brands meet, the result doesn’t always need to be loud or explosive, it can also be quiet, a shared excitement between us and the people who encounter the work,” says Kikuta.
Taking inspiration from pioneering painter Robert Rauschenberg’s approach to material and his famous “Combines” technique, the Rudo Coated Denim Pant is a straight leg jean that promotes wear and age. “We settled on a coated cotton canvas, which allowed us to recontextualise how this fabric behaves in clothing. Through wear and wash, each pair shifts and adjusts, exploring its own material journey, two never aged alike,” says Ijima.
In terms of leather goods, there’s the Owen Studded Leather Belt that’s made out of a lux bovine leather with a set of three studs and the Newman Leather Bag constructed with a glazed Italian leather and a familiar, weekender-esque shape deconstructed.
With a pop-up at Omar Afridi’s store in East London over the weekend, the two labels wanted to create more than a collection of clothes, with Ichimori saying: “We set out to build a circle where fashion, sound, space, and community continually inform one another. For the night, we worked with Space Talk, a bar we’ve long felt close to, to shape the atmosphere. Sound is led by Space Afrika, joined by friends from London and Manchester, each bringing a practice that widens the scope of the evening.”
Being cult brands in their respective niches, this collaboration between Omar Afridi and Vuja Dé feels a lot like a victory lap. Both labels are in a refined place in their own timelines, with the maturity to strip back any gimmicks and a polished sense of identity that’s been cleaned and buffed of any nicks or scratches. Like a seasoned film director with their shot list, every piece feels intentional and necessary, with an ending that always leaves you wanting more. And with this “Less is more” approach that Ijima had in mind, they’ve got themselves a blockbuster.
Images courtesy of @omarafridi_official @vujadestudio
