Hideaki Shikama has been in an introspective mood. “I’ve been reconsidering Children of the Discordance and also rethinking myself,” said the designer during a preview of this fall 2024 lineup.
More specifically, Shikama has been ruminating on how he can continue to use his label as a vehicle to pursue originality and how he can refocus it back to its initial ethos: “one and only.” This meant going back to the drawing board and to the basics of his work, which, he explained, are his fabrics. Much of what makes Children of the Discordance particular is how Shikama and his team repurpose found materials and deadstock to create new styles. The nature of this practice means that every single piece will be different in its own way, as the materials used to put it together all vary.
The lineup in itself didn’t represent a departure from Shikama’s usual style or aesthetic but more of a doubling down. The bandana patchwork remained as the grounding group of the collection and was complemented by a run of denim collaging in shades of gray and blue, which was repurposed from vintage Levi’s. A collaboration with the sports-apparel manufacturer Umbro dressed down the collection without straying too far from the signature COTD mantra, but it was a couple of handcrafted textiles—one quilted and another a woodblock stamp made with natural dyes in Rajasthan, India—that provided some welcome texture.
What remains the most compelling proposition over at Shikama’s studio is the way he and his team mix and match the pieces of his collection. It is here that the “one and only” principle truly comes to life. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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