To get to the bottom of a Children of the Discordance collection, it helps to fully understand the term on which the brand bases its principles. Webster’s will tell you that discordance is a lack of harmony, but Hideaki Shikama’s definition is more about avoiding the typical. “It’s about a difference in perspective,” he said via Zoom from Tokyo. “The idea that the clothes can have a distinct identity and are unique to each individual.”
Influenced by “le mode destroy” each season, Shikama finds inspiration in a subculture, then deconstructs its look. Fall’s focus was on BMX pros—several of whom feature prominently in the collection’s corresponding film—and the aesthetic of the 1980s. A teenager during the decade, Shikama remembers its preppy leanings and pastel color palette, but anyone looking to revisit the era would be better off streaming a Juzo Itami film. Nostalgia isn’t discordant, and the designer seemed primarily interested in the past as a window into what we’ll all be wearing next.
Shikama modernized items that fellow ’80s kids will recall fondly, including tie-dye jeans, smiley face patches, and fuzzy cardigans. His versions of these staples awash in swirling paisley and embroidered motifs that pay homage to the textile art of the American Southwest’s indigenous peoples were colorful and upbeat, imbued with the era’s optimism if not its core look. The ’90s loom large in the current consciousness, and the designer referenced the period in chic ways—the aforementioned cardigans are pure Seattle grunge—and questionable ones. The inclusion of a ghoulish portrait of controversial musician Marilyn Manson on the back of a pair of board shorts feels poorly timed. Still, the mélange of influences works. It helps that Gen Z’s cool kids are so committed to recycling that they’ve taken it upon themselves to revive every trend their parents wore at their age.
As always, the bandana featured prominently, and the sight of the kerchiefs patchwork into shirts and jackets remains potent. Textile nerd Shikama sourced retro versions from Europe instead of America to keep things fresh. The use of vintage fabric throughout Children of the Discordance’s collections is a selling point for customers looking to decrease their carbon footprint. Shikama’s interest in old-school fabrications goes beyond a desire to stay green. “It’s been a part of the brand’s DNA since the outset,” he says of the motif. “Sustainability is one of the benefits, but in the beginning, the intention was to differentiate ourselves and create this precise identity. The clothes are made up of a patchwork of vintage material, so each piece is special; it’s not something that can be replicated.”
Of course, that hasn’t stopped imitators, but none of the folks who have tried to emulate Shikama’s creations have the appreciation for raw materials and minutiae that informs them. Each fabric within his collection has a story, and the designer knows them all by heart. “My favorite look was made with a French linen from the sixties that was impossible to source until now,” he says of a gauzy white and beige color-blocked jacket detailed with stripes. “It was such an incredible opportunity to meet and work with fabrics that have been waiting such a long time to be used.” Such enthusiasm for fashion at its most elemental is what gives Shikama an edge that’s impossible to knock off.
