This jacket was from Mihara Yasuhiro’s Fall 2013 collection, titled Chinpira which means "punk" in Japan. The pieces presented on his catwalk alluded to the Japanese Yakuza, featuring skull-and-crossbones embroidery that is typical of the Sukajan jackets worn by Japanese thugs, tone-on-tone prints that echoed yakuza tattoos, and reptile prints and weaves which mimicked the snakes feature in gang tattoos. The jacket was part of a snakeskin suit which used traditional embroidery techniques and was woven on a special jacquard loom. The loom employs Nishijin weaving which originated in Kyoto over 1200 years ago. Today, the Hosoo factory in Kyoto uses an innovative manufacturing process that comprises over 20 steps. The result is a glistening effect that resembles the scales of a majestic moving golden arowana fish, a fine example of the couture technique trompe l’oeil: the art of creating optical illusions.This jacket was acquired from David Tan, who bought this jacket from the luxury retailer Club21 and wore it to a Club21 event to meet the designer.
