With “Chapter 11: Parasite”, Hikari no Yami continues its exploration of transformation, identity and the life of the garment. For founder and creative director Jakarie Whitaker, the collection moves beyond simply giving discarded clothing new life, examining how identity is formed through attachment, dependence and continual reconstruction.
The collection is grounded in the tension between absurdism and essentialism, questioning whether identity contains an essential core or is something continuously rebuilt. The Ship of Theseus becomes a central reference: if every part of an object is replaced, does it remain the same object? In “Parasite”, the question is applied directly to clothing.
Past-season fabrics, upcycled garments and repurposed deadstock, including recycled cotton, wool and Japanese nylon mesh, are deconstructed and rebuilt through hand-stitching, painting, dyeing, spraying and resin encapsulation. The process exposes the internal architecture of tailoring while transforming familiar garments into something new.
Black and white reinforce Hikari no Yami’s recurring language of light, darkness and duality, while deconstructed tailoring reflects the tension between structure and its disruption. For SS27, this approach expands through a collaboration with Alpha Industries, reworking military utility silhouettes into more individual expressions.
Additional collaborations with Cierra Calmeise, Vanessa Vun and Alex Yarally extend the collection into resin work, hand-painted garments and one-off pieces made from deadstock fabrics, while Alter Lab provides digitally manufactured footwear for the New York presentation.
Ultimately, “Parasite” approaches clothing as something never entirely fixed. Garments absorb traces of their previous lives, adapt to new contexts and acquire meaning through transformation. Rather than preserving the original, Hikari no Yami asks what it means to rebuild it.
ABOUT HIKARI NO YAMI
Hikari no Yami, the Japanese term meaning The Light in Darkness, is an avant-garde fashion label founded by Creative Director Jakarie Whitaker exploring themes of duality through Japanese philosophy, African American cultural diaspora, and sustainable craftsmanship. Rooted in transformation and individuality, the brand challenges conventional ideas of fashion by giving new life to discarded materials through upcycling, zero-waste design, and experimental construction. The brands ethos is “Sustainable creation without limitations”.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Whitaker’s design practice bridges Japanese craftsmanship with the experiences and visual language of the African American diaspora. Whitaker studied Fashion Design, Merchandising, and Philosophy at Clark Atlanta University, later continuing his education at Accademia Italiana in Florence, Toyo University and Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, where he specialized in pattern making.
Photos: Courtesy of Hikari no Yami
www.hikarinoyami.com
@hikarinoyamii
@jakariewhitaker
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION
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