Ever since genius designer and creative director Andrea Pompilio first presented the cult Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger’s first Fall/Winter collection at Milan Fashion Week in 2021, it’s become a hotly anticipated show. Not just for the fact that you have an accessible lifestyle brand on fashion’s most luxurious platform; but because with each passing season Pompilio turns up the heat, blurring the lines between street, culture, luxury and sport.
What Pompilio’s astutely done is to take Onitsuka Tiger beyond being a sports luxe brand to making it an all-encompassing wardrobe solution, appealing to every man. Clothes that sit within the codes of cool and culture to wear all day, every day, while staying true to Onitsuka Tiger’s audacious core. It was most evident at the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2024 show at Milan Fashion Week. Titled ‘Urban Winter’, models hit the runway in flared trousers and overcoats finished off with a wet coating reminiscent of sudden thunderstorms in Tokyo.
That Pompilio would bring in Onitsuka Tiger’s place of birth is but natural, given that the brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The total number of 49 looks, including both women’s and menswear were presented to highlight the brand’s founding year of 1949. In an exclusive interview, Andrea Pompilio breaks down what sired this unapologetically stylish collection.
Man’s World: What was Onitsuka Tiger’s Autumn/ Winter 2024 collection all about?
Andrea Pompilio: Comfort and ease are the key themes of the AW24 line. Many of our designs and styles have a strong, albeit somewhat unrelated, connection to the sports industry. For example, a cotton sweatshirt was transformed into a cashmere outerwear piece in our collection. Every single item of athleisure is evolving uniquely. The colour palette consists of iconic yellow with metropolitan grey, black, beige, and hazelnut. Unique techniques are used to shape the silhouette with a new twist throughout the entire collection. The eye-catching yellow uniforms and the MEXICO 66 SD without Onitsuka Tiger stripes are specially designed to pay homage to the movie Kill Bill, expressing the brand’s evolution that interprets heritage in a modern way.
MW: How have you made Onitsuka Tiger something of a hype brand?
AP: [We] create sports-inspired fashion in the pursuit of ultimate comfort and innovative design. Innovative technologies in our products lie where the eyes cannot see. Our full line of products is one of a kind from head to toe. They come to life through craftsmanship that obsesses over quality and detail. We answer the cravings of those who look for a 'new luxury'. The goal of our entire approach was to improve the basics while keeping our distinctive yellow accents and a modest, simple aesthetic. We make great efforts to pay close attention to details. What makes us unique is our seasonal introduction of a limited collection within a variety of hues and shapes.
MW: What are the new silhouettes and styles to expect this year?
AP: Every season will bring new hues and forms, but the overall look will be relatively straightforward with an exquisite pattern at the back. It may be voluminous in the winter and short in the summer based on seasonal variations in shape and proportion, but the overall style will always prioritise comfort.
Image Credits: Onitsuka Tiger
