Fashion
January 26, 2015
Onitsuka Tiger "ZODIAC" Collection
60th Anniversary = "ZODIAC" Collection
Fall/Winter 2009: Six New Releases - Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar
In 2009, Onitsuka Tiger celebrates its 60th anniversary with "CELEBRATING 60 YEARS" as its season theme, launching a variety of original products and campaigns.
Especially in Japan, where the tradition of celebrating a 60th anniversary as 'kanreki' is deeply rooted, the "ZODIAC design" collection was introduced this spring. The Fall/Winter season marks the second installment, releasing unique products inspired by six of the twelve zodiac animals: Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar.
Text by OPENERSPhoto by Jamandfix
The "ZODIAC design" Collection: Completed with the Twelve Zodiac Animals and Emerging Designers
The zodiac holds significance in important festivals, imagery, and birthdays. In Japan's ancient twelve-animal zodiac system, a full cycle of the Chinese zodiac (Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches) takes 60 years. Historically, the combination of the 12 animals and the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) denotes specific years.
Katsumi Funakoshi, Manager of the Onitsuka Tiger team at ASICS Marketing Department, who joined the company in 1982 and has been involved in the apparel business, shares his insights.
"The 'ZODIAC design' is a design concept commemorating the brand's 60th anniversary, which we launched in January of this year.
The Spring/Summer collection expressed six of the zodiac animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, and Snake. Mr. Takeshi Fukui designed the 'Rat, Ox, Tiger,' while Amsterdam-based illustrator Eric Kriek handled the 'Rabbit, Dragon, Snake.' It was a highly original series that received great acclaim.
For Fall/Winter, we've adopted graphics for the latter six zodiac animals: Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Mr. Takeshi Fukui, who also designed for Spring, depicted the fur of each animal with delicate strokes for 'Horse, Sheep, Monkey.' For 'Rooster, Dog, Boar,' Danish graphic artist Victor Ash, active in Europe, created silhouette-like animals in comical poses with spray cans.
The six graphics for 'Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar' are featured on popular shoe models such as the 'MEXICO 66 LAUTA,' 'FABRE DC-S,' and 'COOLIDGE,' creating a distinctive look. These graphics are also applied to items like sweat hoodies and T-shirts.
As a Global Brand from Japan, Focusing on Traditional Japanese Patterns and Materials
As a global brand originating from Japan, Onitsuka Tiger draws inspiration from traditional Japanese patterns, materials, and dyeing techniques, expressing a fusion of "Japanese" and "Sports" to introduce Japanese traditional culture to the world.
According to Mr. Funakoshi, as part of a project to promote local industries in Japan, they collaborated with "Banshu-ori," a textile tradition dating back to the Edo period, primarily centered in Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture (this collaboration extended through the Spring/Summer 2009 collection).
"Actually, our founder, the late Kihachiro Onitsuka, had planned to create products using Banshu-ori, a textile with high technical skill cultivated in the North Harima region, during his lifetime. We have carried on his legacy to realize a total collection of apparel, shoes, and bags using Banshu-ori, which is globally acclaimed. The products, which maximize the techniques of Banshu-ori, have gained significant popularity overseas."
Furthermore, this season, they are scheduled to sequentially release apparel and shoes featuring "Konsha Kikko," a pattern based on the hexagonal "Kikko-mon" (tortoiseshell pattern), a representative Japanese motif known for its auspiciousness due to its association with the symbols of longevity, the crane and the tortoise. They will also release apparel, accessories, and bags in "Katsuo-jima" (bonito stripes), a type of striped weave that mimics the color gradation from the back to the belly of a bonito, starting in mid-September.
Sixty years have passed since the late Kihachiro Onitsuka created sports shoes in 1949. The products born from Onitsuka Tiger's unique approach embody the richness and style of Japan.
