men's fashion

N.Hoolywood Delivers an Inspired Mountain-Man Show

Designer Daisuke Obana’s N.Hoolywood label specializes in a noirish take on menswear. A decade-old institution in his native Japan, N.Hoolywood debuted last season at New York Fashion Week, and Daisuke has swiftly made the ascent from newbie to one-to-watch. At the Park Avenue Armory on Friday, he delivered a bombshell of a show. All of the intricate elements worked together to narrate Obana’s theme — a Yosemite mountaineering expedition in the 1800s. The procession of models walked out to an eerie soundtrack of wind and piano — at times plaintive and then pounding — and were made-up to look like wind-burned climbers, all bearded and a few even carrying pickaxes. The clothes were a dark take on the mountain man — wool houndstooth trousers stuffed into cable-knit kneesocks were contrasted with loose pajama-like pants and long johns worn as outerwear. Interesting flourishes like a geometric crew-neck sweater vest and hooded cardigans were thrown in. The casting was inspired — as always, straight from the streets, no professional models allowed — all grizzled young men: The longer the beard, the better. “We started ten days ago,” Obana explains. “We got here, and immediately went to Brooklyn. After we found a model, they were so nice and would lead me to another model.” Heights ranged from 6’5” to 5’6”: “It doesn’t matter if he’s tall,” Obana says. “He has to have a strong character.”

N.Hoolywood Delivers an Inspired Mountain-Man Show