Yoshiki Talks Yoshitomo Nara Collaboration And Future Of Fashion Label

Japanese musician, fashion designer and entrepreneur Yoshiki (born Yoshiki Hayashi) is often seen wearing eyeliner behind his sunglasses, and brightly colored designer blazers.

Known as a musician who formed X Japan, a rock band in 1982, Yoshiki went on to sell 30 million records over his 40-year career, but he has turned to entrepreneurship in recent years. From his own Hello Kitty doll to a kimono brand, Yoshiki was recently awarded the Asian Hall of Fame and made Time Magazine’s top 100 for 2025. Now, he’s collaborating with Yoshitomo Nara, one of Japan’s greatest contemporary artists for his wine labels and looking to expand his fashion label.

It was 2024 when Yoshiki unveiled his debut Maison Yoshiki Paris collection at Milan Fashion Week for the brand’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 collection, where the artist provided the live soundtrack on piano, as models Paris Jackson, Grace Johnson, Georgia Palmer, Lindsey Wixson, and Maggie Maurer, walked the runway. Yoshiki’s style, as a designer, gives a glamorous, genderless touch to womenswear, and his garments are made of natural materials from France and Italy.

His family has fashion roots. As the oldest son of a kimono shop owner, he first launched his first fashion label, Yoshikimono in 2009, fusing together traditional kimonos with contemporary prints. With rock n roll styling, right now, the latest collection includes pieces like the Crystal Rose Kimono in red and black, the Rose Rain Kimono in purple, and the Smoke Kimono in fuchsia. His kimonos have been included in kimono-themed group exhibitions at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the Tokyo National Museum. Yoshikikimono has unveiled its latest collections at Tokyo Fashion Week for almost a decade.

Reflecting on his latest fashion show at Paris Fashion Week at the Palais de Chaillot, Yoshiki said it was a way to reinvent his collection after its initial debut. “As a counterpoint to my dramatic all-black Fall/Winter collection from Milan, this featured lightness, white with accents of pastels like pistachio and lemon,” said Yoshiki, who told Women’s Wear Daily last year that “fashion has always been my communication weapon.”

“My father ran a luxury kimono business, so fashion has always been in my blood,” he said. “I created Yoshikimono over a decade ago, and Maison Yoshiki Paris fuses my visions of fashion, design, and lifestyle with glamorous and genderless designs. I design not only the clothes, but the entire production, including the music.”

Next up, he plans on launching his fashion label internationally. “Yoshikimono is already available to purchase, but for Maison Yoshiki Paris, I’m still exploring the best way to launch it globally,” he said. “Beyond fashion, Maison Yoshiki Paris is also expanding into lifestyle with a luxury glassware collection in collaboration with Baccarat.” In 2021, the French crystal brand teamed up with Yoshiki for a collaboration that marked the brand’s 180th anniversary.

That’s not his only entrepreneurship venture. Since founding Y by Yoshiki in 2009, Yoshiki has also launched a champagne collaboration with Pommery, Yoshiki x Pommery. “When I compose music, I can hear everything in my head, and wine is very similar to me; each wine is like a song,” said Yoshiki. “That natural artistic connection and our shared passion made creating ‘Y by Yoshiki’ together feel like the perfect collaboration.”

His latest wine bottles have labels designed by acclaimed contemporary Japanese artist, Yoshitomo Nara, who is known for a soft line cartoonish style of art. These labels are on Yoshiki’s bottles of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. “It fuses together rock and roll, high art and fine wine, making each bottle a coveted collector’s item,” said Yoshiki. “Nara has always had a love for punk rock, so we connected immediately over our shared artistic sensibilities and values. What really brought us together was our mutual passion for wine.”

Yoshiki has created a subscription service in Japan with two tiers: “The Smart Casual Club” for regular wine deliveries with exclusive content, and the “Masterpiece Club,” which offers priority access to rare wines, champagnes, and limited collaborations, like the Yoshitomo Nara and Domaine Takahiko wines.

The subscription service will launch in Japan in February 2026 with a dedicated app (those in Japan can apply here), with later expansion in the US. To Yoshiki, it’s about building a community where people can experience the artistry behind each vintage wine. “Members of our Masterpiece Club will have priority access when it does launch,” he said.

The Y by Yoshiki wine is exclusive and is available at luxury hotels and restaurants internationally. “The Nara collaboration will expand to high-end hotels, restaurants, major department stores, and select wine shops,” said Yoshiki. “My champagne collaboration with Pommery has been selected as the champagne by the glass at a top-class hotel in Monaco, so we’re targeting venues that appreciate exceptional quality.”

Wine and music are interconnected, to Yoshiki. “Wine, to me, is a song,” he said. “My imagination flows with every sip and my mind is set free. I also create champagne in France. The creativity and innovation of both Napa Valley and France inspire me. It’s where tradition meets bold new ideas, just like my approach to music.”

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