Takashi Murakami has unveiled Ohana Hatake, a first-of-its-kind independent footwear brand led by the artist in collaboration with footwear company VIOLET ST. The brand, which translates to “field of flowers,” will incorporate Murakami’s floral motifs and artistic vision into innovative footwear designs.
Ohana Hatake’s launch features two original models: the Ohana Full-Bloom and the Surippa Ohana. The Ohana Full-Bloom is crafted from durable EVA foam and showcases an exaggerated version of Murakami’s signature flower motif. Meanwhile, the Surripa Ohana offers a minimalist interpretation of the Japanese house slipper, featuring a soft EVA foam construction with a rubber outsole that bears Murakami’s artwork on its tread.
“The underlying concept in all of my work is to explore happiness through artistic creation,” said Murakami. “In a country that, as a war-defeated nation, cannot claim full autonomy and independence, I am pursuing an expression that explores the very relationship between American and Japanese cultures. I would love it if those who wear these sandals could sense how this team managed to craft something wonderful out of my quirky, off-the-mark ideas.”
The inspiration for Ohana Hatake came from the emotional impact of a particular scene in the Japanese manga series, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, where a spell creates a field of flowers.
“The great mage, Flamme, teaches the main character, Frieren, a spell that doesn’t seem particularly useful yet is deeply cherished — the spell to create a field of flowers,” explained Murakami. “There is an episode which shows how using this spell had led Frieren to encounter the hero Himmel. Watching this scene in the anime, I was moved to tears, and I felt gratified by my long dedication to the flower motif in my artwork.”
Initially teased as “Murakami’s new footwear project” and introduced through three limited-edition releases in April, Ohana Hatake made an early splash with models in “Island Green” and “Blazing Yellow,” as well as a distinctive black/pink version created in collaboration with the K-pop group BLACKPINK. At ComplexCon in Las Vegas on November 16th–17th, further versions of the Ohana Full-Bloom in new “Apricot” and “Raspberry Rose” colorways (as well as other exclusive colorways) will be showcased, as well as a “Rust” colorway of the Surippa Ohana.
