Kozaburo

Born and raised in Tokyo, Kozaburo Akasaka follows an unconventional yet daring path in establishing his fashion brand in New York. While attending Toyo University, Akasaka studied Philosophy before deciding in his final year to shift focus to fashion. He earned his BFA in Fashion Design Menswear at Saint Martins College of Art & Design before moving to New York and working for several prestigious designers, most notably Thom Browne . Throughout his time in New York, he continued to develop his personal aesthetic and eventually enrolled in the Parsons School of Design to pursue an MFA in Fashion Design.

Akasaka won the Spring/Summer 2016 VFiles Runway during his first year, and upon completing his degree, his final thesis collection was purchased by DoverStreet Market. The following year, he was awarded the 2017 LVMH Special Prize.In 2023, he was selected as one of the finalist for CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund(CVFF). Most recently, he’s received the 2024-2025 CFDA | Genesis House AAPIDesign + Innovation Grant for his latest collection.

Akasaka produces collections bi-annually for his eponymous main line KOZABURO, and for his second line Wave of Sand. He has also collaboratedon projects with other brands such as Snow Peak, Wrangler, Schott and VibramFive Fingers.

Nicholas Daley x Kozaburo