Eclectic Japanese fashion designer celebrates launch of his first U.S. boutique

Japanese designer Naoto Hirooka.

Popular Japanese avant-garde fashion designer Naoto Hirooka is making an appearance in San Francisco this weekend!  His brand, h.NAOTO is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the grand opening of the its first U.S. retail store at Japantown’s New People mall, with a special all-day event and gallery exhibition on October 8th and 9th, 2011.

According to Erik Jansen, publicist of New People, “h.NAOTO is a well-known, leading Gothic/Lolita fashion brand in Japan and the designer has done clothes for many top rock artists.  The opening of their first store in SF should delight fashionistas and give them a wider selection of fresh designs that are not available anywhere else in the U.S.”

h.NAOTO collection.

h.NAOTO has wardrobed Amy Lee of Evanescence for the 2004 Grammy awards and dressed J-Pop/J-Rock celebrities and international musicians including bands Ayabie, Psycho le Cému, Gackt, S.K.I.N. and Hangry & Angry-f.  The exhibition this weekend will feature some of these ensembles in New People’s 3rd floor Superfrog gallery.

h.NAOTO collection.

The label’s one-of-a-kind unique fashion forward designs, inspired by punk and Goth, are widely seen in Tokyo, and are now gaining a new market in the United States.

For the event, the New People building will be draped in vivid h.NAOTO color.  Designer Naoto Hirooka will join the event, appearing in his new boutique located on New People’s 2nd floor to personally suggest and coordinate outfits for every single customer.  This will be a great opportunity to learn how to dress in Gothic-Lolita fashion or how to blend it into one’s wardrobe to give it some style edginess.

h.NAOTO collection.

With inventive ensemble and separates, h.NAOTO is poised to bring a new side of Japanese fashion and pop culture couture to North America.

New People is located at 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115.
Opening day events can be found at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/2011/10/03/h-naoto-grand-opening/ .  The event is free and open to the public.

Additional information on the h.NAOTO collection is available at: http://www.s-inc.com/hnaoto.

h.NAOTO collection.

New People was founded in San Francisco by Seiji Horibuchi in 2009 as a first-of-its-kind destination devoted to film, fashion, art and unique retail brands.  It’s a company that fosters creative collaboration among artists, filmmakers, fashion labels and retail brands influenced by Japanese popular culture.  Additional information about New People can be found at http://www.newpeopleworld.com.