From Samurai to Harajuku
The SØHØ brand is the only global outfit of its kind directly linked to Samurai culture as well as Akira Kurosawa —lauded as history's greatest filmmaker at the Oscars by Spielberg, Lucas and Scorsese; Yasujiro Ozu — whose Tokyo Story has topped the most polls of "greatest film ever made" and Nobel-laureate Yasunari Kawabata among others. Located near Japan's most famous National Treasures of Greater Tokyo, SØHØ Couture is the only fashion house to deal with historic Samurai textiles, eboshis, kimono, haori, jinbaori, hakama, maedate, yoroi, sode et al and then make modern day couture inspired by them. Every single piece is unique and custom-made -- we only cater to a select highly exclusive clientele of discerning fashionistas that appreciate the heritage behind our brand.
Rare Archives of Japan's best
SØHØ Couture will make its debut in the world's first Kpop and Couture Film Destiny: A Star is Reborn -- filmed in 20 cities across 14 nations including fashion capitals Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Tokyo and Seoul as a powerful Rocky Meets Star is Born film set in the world of Kpop and dance. The fashion scenes pay a poignant homage to the Japanese influence on Western fashion giants from Christian Dior who studied Hokusai prints to develop his artistic eye to Anthony McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld and Virgil Abloh who were all inspired by Japan. The film also highlights the incredible comeback of Coco Chanel at the age of 71 and how she incorporated male elements in female designs. To show the link between Kpop and high fashion where every fashion house has Kpop ambassadors -- every frame of the film features limited edition Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Balenciaga, Louboutin, Issey Miyake and Virgil & Murakami of Louis Vuitton among others. All pieces are sourced responsibly with a commitment to pay complimentary homage to the heritage of these historic houses. Our next film Bodhidharma will feature the best of Japanese fashion including Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme Des Garcon, Kansai Yamamoto, Hysteric, Kapital, Hiroko Koshino and Mika Hiroshige among their peers. SØHØ highlights Japanese culture in film, fashion and art like no other person anywhere.
Launch of SØHØ Couture via fashion-driven cinema
Furthermore, we maintain and promote one of the world's rarest archives of famed Japanese designers from the architect of design Issey Miyake and his proteges from Chisato to Zucca, the embodiment of cool Yohji Yamamoto and his proteges A/t & Mika Hiroshige, the only designer to have a solo exhibit at the MET Museum alongside Yves Saint Laurent Rei Kawakubo and her protege Junya Watanabe, Louis Vuitton favorite collaborator Kansai Yamamoto, Inspirational mastro Masahiro, Avante Garde designer Koshino and more. legendary Ura-Harajuku brands headed by Hysteric (immortalized by Gwen Stefani in Harajuku Girls, Sofia Coppolla in the Oscar-winning Lost in Translation and Brad Pitt's promotions of the generation defining Fight Club). Our Mission Statement is to preserve the exquisite traditions of Asian couture and present them in a contemporary manner for today's generations.
SØHØ's name comes from Takuan Soho —the spiritual and cultural mentor to history's greatest Samurai from the Shoguns of the Tokugawa to the undefeated Miyamoto Musashi. Takuan Soho was Japan's greatest disciple of Asia's most beloved saint of Japan, Korea and China -- the great warrior-monk Bodhidharma of Indian origin. Today the cultural mascot of Japan via ubiquitous Daruma dolls, Bodhidharma was painted by all of the major Samurai warriors and artists -- from history's greatest warrior Musashi to Asia and the world's greatest artist Hokusai who made the world's biggest painting in his honor and has since inspired Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso & Dugas.
The origin of the name SØHØ
About Us
Asia's first Director Designer.
SØHØ is the Asia's first Director-Designer and the world's first Actor-Director-Designer making his film and fashion debut in "Destiny: A Star is Reborn" — the world's first Global Kpop & Couture epic — a cinematic runway filmed in 20 cities across 14 nations that features European luxury fashion in every scene to represent its close nexus with Kpop. The film also pays a poignant homage to Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton who were all inspired by Japan. ( FirstKPopFilm.com. ). SØHØ's second feature film Bodhidharma will feature archive designs by the Who's Who of Japanese fashion including Kansai Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamotoand their proteges. SØHØ's 3rd film The New Samurai will feature the authentic antique textiles, hats, kimono, eboshi, jinbaori, kamishimo et al worn by the greatest Samurai including Tokugawa, Shingen, Honda, Kiyomasa, Musashi and more.
Mentored by the linage of one of history's greatest filmmakers Satyajit Ray (lauded by Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorcese) and representing Japan's most prestigious location Kamakura —the capital of Samurai culture and creative sanctuary and final resting place of Kurosawa (dubbed the greatest ever filmmaker by Spielberg, Ozu (whose Tokyo Story is considered the greatest film ever made). SØHØ is also the Owner of SØHØ Museum which houses one of the world's premier collections of Asian art and treasures that also inspire his couture. Furthermore, SØHØ is also the CEO of 6 Pan-Asian Cinema —the only Pan-Asian film company that links Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India and Canada and can be visited at 6PAC.jp. An expert in Asian culture and heritage, SØHØ has represented Asia on many of the world's most important forums from the US Congress and Olympics to the Simon Wiesenthal Center and major universities including Harvard ND Oxford. Soho's representation of Japanese and Asian culture and heritage has been praised by Ambassadors, Cabinet Ministers and Influencers of Japan, USA, Canada, India, Korea and more — and this credibility, creativity and conviction embody the SØHØ brand.
A debt of civilization
In the 6th century, when Buddhism was going extinct in India, Japan and in particular the Samurai fought to preserve this great heritage and then even brought it back to India in the 20th century. Asia's greatest warrior monk Bodhidharma left India & founded Zen and Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple of China before meeting Prince Shotoku - the father of Japanese civilization. Prince Shotoku gifted Bodhidharma a purple robe & he became the cultural mascot of Japan to this day. Thereafter in the 8th century, Emperor Shomu welcomed the Indian saint Bodhisena to inaugurate the Todaiji temple -- the biggest national project in the history of ancient Japan where Japan's most honored National Hero Kukai went on to teach extinct Buddhist Siddham Sanskrit to Samurai warriors who placed the letters on their armour and costumes. This influence was even used by Issey Miyake whose iconic HAAT Collection is a pun on the Sanskrit words "Haath or village mart" and "Haath" or by hand and in which Miyake-san uses Indian textiles and traditional weaving in his designs. For this reason, SØHØ Couture has one of the rarest collections of Issey Miyake originals as well as his entire design from Zucca and Chisato Tsumori to Hai, Mercobocoup, Plantation, ME, Pleats and more.
By the 20th century, there was no trace of Buddhism anywhere in India —the land where Buddha lived and taught. Okakura Tenshin thus traveled to India to work with Nobel Laureate Tagore at reclaiming India's Buddhist sites that were in ruins, Fujii-san went to India to teach Gandhi the iconic Lotus Sutra that had been forgotten in India and built Pagodas across the nation and Kukai's disciple Sasai-san moved permanently to India to ead the revival and preservation of Indian Buddhist heritage. When the heirs and estates of all of the above bestowed upon SØHØ a mandate to repay the favor. SØHØ decide to repay this civilization debt by becoming the world's top expert on Japanese heritage —doing more to promote and preserve Japanese traditions than any other person —by building a museum, producing 3 international feature films and launching a Couture line as well as representing Japanese culture at the world's leading forums. In honor of SØHØ's peerless work, members of the Tokugawa family conferred upon him priceless artifacts including a Katana, magatama and butsudan as well as treasures with the Aoi mon. Per the mandate of Tenshin and Tokugawa, SØHØ became the first person to wear a kimono and hakama at major meetings with National and International Leaders and has even incorporated it into Soho Couture.
Mentored by Japanese monks from childhood, SØHØ first went to Japan in 2002 and has since become an expert in all things Japanese including Harajuku fashion. To promote Japanese brands, SØHØ always wears Japanese brands from Issey, Yohji, CDG, Kansai, Koshino, Hiroshige, A/T to Kapital, Hysteric Glamour, Number Nine, RPM 45, Undercover, Neighborhood and many more cool Japanese brands with major street cred in Harajuku. In fact, almost every day SØHØ receives compliments on his look —from Koenji & Shibuya to Ginza and Aoyama and uses his platform to promote Japanese fashion innovations from the architectural textiles of Miyake to the Samurai and Samurai like drapes of Yohji to the rebellious deconstruction of Rei Kawakubo to the maximalist and flamboyant Basara style of Kansai to the cool and fashion forward signatures of Hysteric Glamour. SØHØ couture pays tribute to all of them, learns from them and continues their spirit and a percentage of all monies earned from our unique collections is used for the preservation of Asian culture. We also maintain a presence in Gangnam where we are a part of many important networks including Korea's top entertainment network linked to Donguuk (stars from Squid Game and Old Boy to Big Bang and Girls Generation among others. Similarly, SØHØ Jewelry is both futuristic and yet spiritual and worn by many of the world's top Olympic atheletes.