The Viridi-anne

A graduate from Tokyo Zokei University’s Fine Arts program, designer Tomoaki Okaniwa honed his artistic vision through oil painting before pursuing garment design and launching his menswear label The Viridi-anne for Spring/Summer 2001. Okaniwa’s soulful designs blend modernity with heritage, incorporating cutting-edge textiles and avant-garde details with traditional craftwork and classic silhouettes. Asymmetrically constructed separates, layered shorts, and distressed jersey t-shirts embody ‘wabi-sabi,’ the Japanese aesthetic of imperfection and incompleteness, revealing the intricate handcraft process behind each piece. Supple leather jackets, oversized hoodies, draped pullovers, and bomber jackets in the designer’s signature monochromatic palette convey a darkly urban mood, while blazers and knit cardigans reference timeless styles.