Founded in Osaka in 2015 by two anonymous designers, D.Hygen has built a distinct presence within the avant-garde landscape through its philosophy of Strainism, a concept centered on tension, control, and movement. Known for austere construction, layered silhouettes, and technical refinement, the brand treats clothing not as surface decoration but as a structural extension of the body. Drawing from the Japanese proverb HAI_GEN, which speaks to the unseen forces guiding human life, D.HYGEN reimagines garments as tools for reclaiming control, manipulating life’s invisible strings with intention.
D.Hygen’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection continues the brand’s rigorous interrogation of tension, restraint, and control, recasting these forces not as limitations but as compositional tools. Refusing seasonal optimism or trend-driven silhouettes, the Japanese label proposes instead a disciplined wardrobe where movement and restriction coexist in calculated equilibrium.
The collection’s architecture is unmistakably D.Hygen: angular layers, anatomical precision, and a tactile palette of ashen neutrals, charred earth tones, and metallic greys. Tailored leather jackets are treated with a matte finish, as if eroded by time, while high-collared shirts and elongated tunics taper along the spine, suggesting musculature and contraction. Pants follow a lean, stacked silhouette, while external seams and utility straps give the garments a skeletal tension.
Functionality is embedded not just in surface design but in the garments’ construction. Seams are deliberately offset, closure systems are discreet, and technical fabrics, sometimes bonded and sometimes raw, behave with intention. In one standout look, a zippered leather outer shell folds over a breathable underlayer, producing a silhouette that expands and contracts with movement, capturing the brand’s central philosophy of Strainism: the intentional cultivation of tension as a generative force.
ABOUT D.HYGEN
D.Hygen, formerly known as Saddam Teissy, was established in Osaka in 2015. Since debuting its first collection for Autumn/Winter 2016/17, the brand has steadily built a reputation for its conceptual rigor and commitment to craft.
At its core, D.Hygen blends traditional Japanese craftsmanship with contemporary design logic, emphasizing texture, fit, and material innovation. The brand avoids theatrical gestures and instead pursues a focused, architectural vision. Its philosophy, hinted at in the proverb HAI_GEN, centers on the idea of regaining control over unseen forces, of using clothing not only to shape the body but to move through the world with intention.
Photos: Courtesy of D.Hygen
Highlights from the Collection
