Author: Izzy Petraglia (@izzyyp23)
For years, Japanese streetwear has been a crucial force in fashion history. Its origins can be traced back to Urahara, the back alleys of Tokyo's Harajuku district. The *Ura-Americana* style—named after this fragment of Harajuku—is a blend of Western and Japanese aesthetics that the streetwear brand Hysteric Glamour pioneered. Founded in 1984, the brand was born from the vision of Nobuhiko Kitamura and his deep archive of inspirations, including used records and vintage clothing.
Kitamura’s entry into fashion was driven by his love for music. He collected records and gathered information through liner notes, music magazines, and radio broadcasts. Furthering his interest, he began researching graphic artists and photographers—especially those who designed album covers. Immersed in a variety of subcultures beyond music, he took part-time jobs in design and event planning to sustain his passion for collecting vintage clothing and records. At 21, Kitamura graduated from Tokyo Mode Gakuen in Shinjuku—what he referred to as the *“mecca of record mania”* at the time. Ozone Community Corporation, where he worked part-time as a designer, offered him the opportunity to launch his own brand after some of his work sold successfully.
At this point, *street fashion* wasn’t a widely recognized term, but Kitamura saw a gap in the industry—a lack of brands that merged music and subculture with fashion. Hysteric Glamour was born from his desire to create what he wanted to see in 1980s fashion and beyond.
The brand's name came from Kitamura’s search for words without a direct Japanese equivalent. *Hysteric* and *Glamour* were inspired by female rock stars—Patti Smith’s frenzied, *hysterical* performances and the *glamour* of Blondie’s Debbie Harry. Rejecting the conservative and commercial, Kitamura brought his personal tastes, cultural influences, and inspirations to life. His goal was never to follow trends but to create clothing that his favorite rock stars would wear.
Hysteric Glamour launched in June 1984, making it one of Tokyo’s oldest streetwear brands. Its first exhibition took place just one month later, in July 1984, where the editor-in-chief of *Olive*—a Japanese women's fashion magazine—visited on the first day. Impressed, the editor borrowed samples for a photoshoot in Paris the next day, leading to Kitamura’s designs appearing on the magazine’s cover. With minimal promotion, the first collection sold out after a flood of sales inquiries.
Kitamura’s fascination with pop art—especially advertising from the 1960s and 70s—the rise of punk and new wave music, and vintage pornography served as the foundation for his work. He also drew inspiration from cultural movements such as the hippie era and anti-war protests, incorporating elements of denim, military, and workwear fashion into his designs.
In an interview with *DAYZ ARCHIVES*, Kitamura expressed feeling disheartened when many of his friends moved to New York City and London between the ages of 23 and 28, given his deep interest in American and British culture. Staying in Tokyo, he sought connections with foreigners—designers, models, and artists—eventually living with six of them to practice English and engage with international creatives. Among them was Michael Kopelman, founder of the London-based streetwear brand and distribution agency Gimme Five, who inspired Kitamura to launch Hysteric Glamour UK. In the late 1980s, the brand also opened a temporary store in New York, attracting figures such as Keith Haring and Iggy Pop and leading to a collaboration with Sonic Youth. A few years later, after opening a store in London, Kitamura's work caught the attention of the Sex Pistols.
Over time, Hysteric Glamour gained a following among influential musicians, including Primal Scream, Courtney Love, and Kurt Cobain—who wore a Sonic Youth collaboration T-shirt during his final performance in Munich, Germany, in 1994. Though the brand was widely embraced by grunge and underground music scenes, it also crossed into mainstream pop culture when Gwen Stefani referenced *hard-to-get Hysteric Glamour* in her 2004 song *Harajuku Girls*.
A decade later, the brand’s impact remained evident as Japanese fashion houses such as BAPE and Undercover emerged. Today, its designs continue to attract younger generations, who scour the internet for archive Hysteric Glamour pieces—mirroring the way Kitamura once hunted through thrift shops for vintage clothing as a student. This ongoing cycle of discovery keeps Kitamura inspired, reaffirming his belief that his original vision for Hysteric Glamour has, in many ways, come true.
