Mihara Yasuhiro is a shoe designer, ready-to-wear designer and surfer. He is the president of SOSU Co., Ltd as well as the creative and artistic director of Maison Mihara Yasuhiro. His designs are inspired by the place where streetwear and traditional tailoring intersect, and known for their experimental shapes and silhouettes.
Which three books would you recommend?
Duchamp: A Biography Calvin Tomkins
I’d recommend it to people who are interested in art.
This is a biography of Marcel Duchamp, one of the most important artists of the 20th century, who I admire. You will feel as though you have slipped back in time and get a glimpse of Duchamp’s originality, humour, privacy and humanity.
I don’t know if it influenced my worldview or work, but I do have a sense of humour and live ironically during these turbulent times.
Homo Ludens Johan Huizinga
This book would be good for someone who’s interested in creative things.
Johan Heizinga was a Dutch historian who discussed how play preceded culture, and how all cultures were born from play. It makes me consider: is fashion culture or industry? I would like to confirm that the future of creative fashion, which I idealize, should never be easily commercialized. “Play” should be the driving force to create new fashion, movements and culture.
Wilder Mann: The Image of the SavageCharles Fréger
This book by Charles Fréger, documents the remnants of primitive costumes from various ethnic groups. In a bizarre world, religion, customs, all sorts of reasons and intense visuals can stop you from thinking.
It is a book I cannot ignore as I love the kaijyu (monster) culture from Japan. It is true that books can give us pleasure, but they can also give us a different dimension of humour.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?