WACKO MARIA - The Anti-Hero of Fashion

Everyone loves a rebel; we are naturally drawn to them. We’ve seen it time and time again, especially when it comes to the entertainment industry. From anime such as Dragon Ball, where we’d argue that many fans prefer Vegeta to Goku, to films where the main character is a charming bad boy.

Very rarely though, do we see this in the form of brand language and imagery. Usually, brands like to play it conventional: being the skater head, the eco-friendly warrior, the functional mastermind. Few brands really capture an antagonist image and thrive because of it. Well, one brand harnesses this antihero essence, and charmingly plays with it. That brand is Japanese fashion legend, WACKO MARIA [@wackomaria_guiltyparties] - the ‘guilty parties’ amongst a sea of do-gooders within the Japanese fashion industry that is defining the Japanese bad boy image in Japan, and with its laid-back approach creates one of the most irresistibly likeable brands in history.

From using the devil’s lettuce insignia on their air fresheners to labelling their stockists as ‘dealers,’ through to using models drenched head to toe in tattoos, WACKO MARIA is unorthodox but creates a devilish gravitational pull towards them where we can’t help but love them. Effortlessly stylish, the sexy collision of 70s and 80s jazz fashion meets rockabilly rebel creates a sense of cool that is unrivalled.

Widely known for their eccentric and in-your-face shirts, WACKO MARIA cleverly taps into this troublemaker brand image, usually unventured amongst the Japanese community. Within Japanese culture, things such as tattoos and thuggish behaviour are frowned upon, yet WACKO MARIA intertwines this within their marketing and image and truly captures the vibe of a member of the Yakuza enjoying a pina colada on a white sandy beach. This balance between bad boy and partygoer is exactly what sets them apart from the others.

WACKO MARIA clothing is fantastic and charismatic. Inspired by Americana silhouettes, classic staples such as leather jackets, trucker jackets, and varsity jackets all are present with a signature WACKO MARIA twist, often with animal prints or suede finishes adding to the sensational suave. Bold, beautiful, and shamelessly eccentric, WACKO MARIA is a statement to the world that you aren’t afraid to paint the town red and look fabulous whilst doing it.

To understand why and how this vision works so well, we need to recap on the journey of WACKO MARIA; from their emergence onto the fashion scene to the now long-standing legacy they hold.

From football jerseys to animal print shirts

Starting in 2005, Wacko Maria was founded by former J-League soccer players Keiji Ishizuka and Atsuhiko Mori. After retirement, the two would engross themselves in the culture. Drinking at bars, listening to music, and doing all things a retired person should do. Never planning to create something as big as they would, simply wanting to create something that fused together all the things they were passionate about, a fashion brand would be born for hell raisers with style.

The two were always heavily inspired and influenced by music, with Mori especially being an avid collector of vinyl and a lover of punk rock. All music within the ‘Killer Tunes Broadcast’, and the WACKO MARIA SoundCloud mixtapes, are all consisting of music that Mori has collected over his years and Mori has commented that music is a continuous inspiration behind the brand.

Before the brand we know of today even existed though, the two would take their love for music [and drinking] to the next level, establishing their very own bar in Tokyo called ROCK STEADY. This would continue to rise in popularity over the years, and the more and more people came in the more the duo started to realise one reoccurring factor with their customers: fashion. Everyone stepping foot through the door was incredibly stylish, and this sparked the idea of creating their own apparel line, intertwining their love for music with style.

Eventually, the bar would be sold, and Ishizuka and Mori would evolve this into the rebelliously romantic and glamorous brand we know today as WACKO MARIA. Now just headed up by Mori, the brand's direction is very much still representative of the early days. Continuing to use music as a conflux into style, with nightlife as an essential part of their image.

Costumes for the friendly troublemakers

Perhaps this is another indication of why there’s a rebellious nature to the brand. Music has always been an invitation for the nightcrawlers to come out; the people who want to express themselves, let their hair down and forget about the restrictions of society. Music and fashion have forever gone hand in hand, but few brands really capture what music is all about, and then transfer this over to something wearable.

But with WACKO MARIA, the Japanese brand really opens us a door into the audible world of music with something tangible such as one of their animal print shirts, and even better so, creates clothing which fits so wonderfully into nightlife. If you wear a WACKO MARIA shirt to a party, you’re guaranteed to turn heads. It exuberates charm and energy that only someone who is going to party till the sun comes up can pull off.

WACKO MARIA continues to push this narrative of bad boy meets flamboyant party goer through their use of ambassadors and past collaborations. Recently we have seen the likes of BADSAIKUSH [@badbadsai] patterned across their social channels, a Japanese rapper and singer who’s decorated head to toe in tattoos and seen smoking cannabis [something that is highly illegal in Japan] throughout his Instagram. This young creative, resonating with the youth is the perfect example of the energy that the Japanese label emits. Laid back, current, effortless, and undeniably cool.

Another ambassador for the brand seen littered throughout the social feed is Japanese actor, Ryuhei Matsuda. Known for his roles in Taboo, as a desirable Samurai, and as rock star bad boy Ren Honjo in Nana. Starting to see a link yet? WACKO MARIA has a clear vision and identity and continues to always strive towards it whilst also never trying too hard to be just one thing. They have fun, something that very few brands these days do.

Art and Film as Inspiration

As well as collaborating with music artists, WACKO MARIA also has a deeply rooted connection with the world of art and film. Another way of expressing yourself, art and films have forever been a medium for the outlandish. Going hand in hand with the music industry, often art, music, and fashion all culminate to create culture, with films being one of the lenses’ into these cultures that are created, so it only makes sense that Mori and his partner who originally only wanted to make something that had a culture behind it would integrate art and films into their brand.

We have seen the likes of world-famous artist, the late Basquiat, be a continuous collaborative partner with the brand. The New York art scene at the time of Jean-Michael Basquiat was an onslaught of wild nights and parties, so the natural synergy here is excellently orchestrated. Other collaborators of recent years include Larry King, Film Director, photographer, and writer, known for his controversial teen films and photography style that often captures delinquents in drug-fueled immoralities.

We can even see WACKO MARIA produce their own short films [which we highly advise going through there Instagram and checking them out], perfectly capturing their universe in their ‘low budget’ looking marketing clips, which only adds to the aesthetic. Cheeky, naughty, and irresistible, these videos often follow some stylish males as they go about their night out: in a strip club, heading downtown, in a bar. These are just a few videos surfacing on their Instagram right now, each one so laid back that it creates a characature version of a high budget marketing stunt.  

Culture Creates Culture

For a brand which only started due to a desire for culture, the result was the creation of a culture entirely. WACKO MARIA exists and operates to serve this one purpose; to live and breathe their culture, and to inspire new generations to join this culture. This can be seen even more with their flagship store, accurately named ‘PARADISE TOKYO’.

PARADISE is not only just a store selling WACKO MARIA, but a hub for the community. With a coffee shop right at the start of the store, before you even get to the clothing on rails, it’s clear to see the vision behind this concept. Mori wanted to create a meeting point, a spot where people can talk, exchange stories, exchange passions, just like their bar when first starting the brand.

This is the true power behind WACKO MARIA. It’s not just a brand for the loveable outlaws, but a brand where these lovable outlaws can get together, feel like a community, and raise hell together. They never try too hard, instead they channel this inner party animal into their work, and the result is a clothing label which reminds us of that one friend who gets too drunk at parties, but looks badass while doing it. So, get your fancy shirt on, slick back your hair, round up the troops, and go get them, tiger. You’re going to look fantastic.

Joe Goodwin is a Tokyo based creative and writer. Born in the UK, he explores his dialect with fashion and subculture as he dives deep into the neon streets and back alleys of Tokyo.