ADEAM ICHI Smells like Teen Spirit

February 12, 2023

Founder and creative director of ADEAM, Hanako Maeda, grew up between Tokyo and New York City. As such, Hanako is attuned to the way that culture transforms across borders, which enables her to design clothes that feel culturally specific, yet universally relevant. She draws inspiration from 90s Japanese streetwear, urbanity and utility.

For Fall/Winter 2023, Hanako returns to NYFW with not one but two collections, both inspired by her formative years growing up in the early aughts. The resurgence of kitschy Y2K fashion trends provoked her to reflect on the culture she consumed in those years, especially the music she listened to. ADEAM and ADEAM ICHI F/W '23 speak to Hanako's teenage self, the "punk-emo kid" that was obsessed with the manga NANA and bopped her head to the likes of Green Day and Blink-182, before shifting to grungier alternative bands, like Sonic Youth and Nirvana, in her later years. She reminds us that “great design isn’t always defined by the novel, nor is it a matter of romanticizing the past.” It doesn’t matter if the design is old, or repeated; fashion is cyclical, albeit trite to say so. To Hanako, great design is “allowing new and old ideas to flourish in the current intellectual and spiritual environment.”

The innovative designer called in our editor-in-chief, Simon Rasmussen, to style ICHI and bring her 'grunge' vision to life.

Text by Sahir Ahmed
Photos by Matt Weinberger
Styling by Simon Rasmussen

While the presentations are often exciting, the time in-between shows during fashion week can make it all feel so monotonous. Hanako’s presentation was a reminder that fashion week is meant to be fun. The show, which included dramatic staging by lighting expert Thierry Dreyfus and a live guitar solo by Japanese model-rockstar Miyavi, felt more like a concert with its theatrics than a fashion show. It was shocking, exciting, and unfortunately, over within minutes, but the nostalgia that surfaced while watching the display will hopefully last a little while longer.

The primary collection embodies punk style in its casual, carefree nature, and deliberate deconstruction. The clothes complement the label’s vision of eveningwear as a progression from daywear — dramatic faux leather silhouettes, sharp suiting, angel hair cardigans, and sweatshirts live harmoniously in the same wardrobe.

ADEAM ICHI, the label’s gender-neutral counterpart, taps into grunge’s utilitarian androgyny, a characteristic that makes the assortment of clothing both intentional and playful. The silhouettes are oversized; the fabrics are durable. Hanako’s love of Japanese workwear led her to incorporate utility features such as pockets, belts and convertible structures. When asked if there was a Nirvana song she’d used to describe ICHI, she didn’t hesitate to say “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and what a fitting reference, I couldn’t imagine there to be a better display of what teenage angst might look like in 2023.

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