FASHION JAPAN: h.NAOTO

h.NAOTO

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Japanese: エイチ・ナオト
field: apparel
type: manufacturer
style: gothic-lolita
market: men, women

url: h.NAOTO official site

Creative street brand with punk and goth influences

h.NAOTO Japanese avant-garde fashion designer Naoto Hirooka (廣岡直人) was born in Hyogo prefecture and joined S-inc. in 1999 after graduating from Bunka Fukusou Gakuin. He launched his own brand, h.NAOTO, shortly after that.

Originally an extreme punk, rock and gothic brand, it has been expanding by adopting new cultural inspirations. Hirooka’s creations are extremely popular with musicians and artists the world over. Amy Lee of Evanescence wore an h.NAOTO dress at the 2004 Grammy Awards, and Japanese visual kei band Ayabie costumes are designed by Hirooka.

The brand h.Naoto was launched in 1999 as a punk and rock brand. As of 2001, there has been increasing collaboration between h.Naoto and musicians. In 2002, the brand was subdivided into punk, gothic-lolita and other themes. The same year a h.Naoto men’s shop, named ‘h’, was opened in Ura-Harajuku and ‘h.X’ magazine was started.

h.NAOTO In 2003 h.Naoto opens a womenswear shop, named ‘H’, in Ura-Harajuku. The following year h.Naoto expands to Osaka by opening a store in Shinsaibashi (H&h.) The same year h.Naoto’s sexy category shop ‘8club’ opens up in Harajuku.

2005 saw the start of hEAVEN in Ura-Harajuku as h.Naoto develops toward music-inspired fashion with influences of anime and subcultures.

selected lines
h.NAOTO
hEAVEN (ladies)
H (ladies)
h.ANARCHY (punk)
h.NAOTO Blood (goth-loli)
S CLUB (ladies)
SiXh (mens)
RHB (mens)
h. (mens)
Hn+nois (accessories)
h.NAOTO ROOMS (interior)
HANGRY & ANGRY (accessories)
8club