To celebrate UNION LA’s 35th anniversary, a collaborative collection featuring in·stru(men-tal) & Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO and UNION will be released on August 7 (US) / August 8 (JP).

Brought together through a mutual acquaintance, this collection took about a year of development.

In this interview with UNION owner Chris Gibbs, we delve into the stories behind its creation and the passion woven into each piece.

From the background and origin of the collaboration to his perspective on Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO, and the shared cultural philosophy that unites both brands

—Chris’s own words reveal another layer to the story behind this collection.

-What is your impression of designer Mihara Yasuhiro?

And what aspects of his craftsmanship and philosophy do you find most appealing?

I love the way Mihara is always playing with proportions most of all.

While he often uses an oversized fit, it’s done in a masterful way where the “drape” of the garment is still considered.

But maybe to keep us on our toes, he will on occasion make things cropped and smaller.

The play between the two, matched with the attention to detail of the garment as well as a superior wash technique, offers a truly unique POV on fashion.

I have many Mihara pieces in my personal wardrobe, and when I visit Japan, his store is a must-see for me.

-How did you and Mihara first meet, and how have you built your relationship over time?

We met in Paris a couple of years back through our mutual friend KB.

Shortly thereafter, we began talks of this collaboration, and I have enjoyed the creative back and forth for the better part of the last year.

-What were your initial impressions when you first heard about this collaboration?

What elements did you feel were particularly appealing or had potential?

As you now know, I am a huge fan of Yasuhiro-san, so when the opportunity presented itself, I was extremely happy.

The entire collection is great; otherwise, we would not have made it.

I hope that we can continue to collaborate more in the future.

-What drives UNION to enter collaborations beyond commercial motives, and what core values do you prioritize when choosing a partner?

TBH, it’s actually rare that we do a collab for commercial motives.

More often, it’s about sharing ideas with other designers or brands that we admire.

It’s more about community building and doing something with a friend that we might not otherwise do on our own.

Call it a friendly challenge to step out of our comfort zone – have some fun and make something in a new way.

-Outside of this collaboration, are there any specific Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO pieces or past collections that you personally like?

There is a knit cardigan I have from a couple of years ago that might be one of my all-time favorite cardigans.

The fit, the drape, the wash – is all perfect for me.

Outside of specific items, I also think their idea to make “dry cleaning tags” part of their brand iconography was genius!!!

-For the visual campaign for this collaboration, we shared ideas and direction; then the UNION team interpreted it to build the visuals.

When you first received the initial concepts, what story and visuals did you envision?

Mihara and his team shared a desire to have a very LA look and feel for the campaign.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of LA looks that can be very different.

We shared a couple of ideas and finally landed on this shoot in and around Mc Arthur Park.

Coincidentally, I live 10 blocks away from the Park and walk there every day.

This might surprise some, who consider it a dangerous place.

I am not suggesting that it isn’t, but all places have the capacity to be dangerous – it’s all about how you navigate.

This is my neighborhood, so I’d like to think I know how to navigate it well.

Some of the best ideas to me are organic, and what could be more organic than shooting at a park in my hood?

-The final visuals capture an authentic atmosphere—the Los Angeles cityscape, cars, and the everyday lives of the locals.

How did you approach the choice of location, casting, and overall visual tone for the shoot?

As for models, we used a couple guys from our team that we have used many times, same for the photographer.

We just kept it in the Union family.

-UNION has long curated and introduced brands and designers through a unique lens.

When introducing a new brand or product to the UNION community, what do you value most?

That’s a tough question to answer.

But I guess the main thing we start with is freshness.

Is the new brand fresh (something that our customer hasn’t seen before).

This would be where we start.

Sometimes it’s something they have seen, but maybe the new brand is doing it in an innovative way.

Sometimes the brand is doing it at a really high level, but typically something is new. 

-In UNION’s view, how do music, art, skateboarding, street culture, and fashion intersect and connect?

We consider our store a lifestyle store first and foremost.

We are just as interested in someone coming to our shop to have an interesting conversation or share a new artist or be put on to new music as we are in them discovering a new fashion piece.

To us, fashion is communication. It’s just a way of having or starting a conversation with someone that is nonverbal and more visual.

So the arts and beyond really are an integral part of our store and our brand.

-On a personal level, what role do subcultures like skateboarding and surfing play in your life, and how have these influenced UNION’s philosophy?

Well, I was a skater as a kid, and skateboarding really helped open my eyes to the visual arts through the lens of skateboard design.

For better or for worse, most 12-year-olds don’t want to go to a museum, so the first canvas you might see will typically be a record cover of your favorite band or your skateboard.

I think that played a heavy role in my early childhood in understanding and appreciating visual art, which is the foundation of streetwear.

In addition, in the 80’s (I am an 80’s baby), skateboard culture was counterculture – in it was rebellious, so it also helped shape my youthful angst.

Lastly, as it often is with outsiders and countercultures…we are often pushed to the fringes, and that is where we often find our “A-ALIKES” (act a likes or acolytes).

This, for me, is where my community was formed.

-How has the city of Los Angeles and its local community influenced UNION’s identity over the years?

It’s everything.  We are a direct reflection of our community, and we are LA.

We wouldn’t be here without the love and support of this amazing city that has always embraced us and our crazy ideas,

and in turn, we try and to be a mirror to LA and show the rest of the world what our city has to offer.

There are many different opinions on where streetwear was born, but it came of age here in LA – no doubt about that!

-What music have you been listening to lately, both in your personal life and while working?

Were there any specific artists, tracks, or genres you kept on heavy rotation while working on this project?

I am as plural as it gets in music.

I am mixed – half white, half black – and both sides of my heritage are thirsty for music.

I am all over the place: on any given day or time, I could be listening to oldies like “The Everly Brothers”,

Folk like “Simon & Garfunkel” or Shoegaze like “The Smiths” or “Cocteau Twins”… some might say that’s my white side???

I guess on my black side, I like Disco like “GQ” and House like “Peven Everett” as well as Rhythm and Blues like “Lalah Hathaway” or her dad, “Donny Hathaway”.  

Lately, I have been listening to a lot of newer R&B.

Three artists I am listening to a lot these days are:

“Kelela”, who just dropped a new album; “Laya”, who does a modern take on 90’s R&B; and “Leiah”, who is just dope.

-While UNION maintains a strong digital presence, physical stores and real-world community remain central.

What do you see as the role of a physical store for UNION today?

A physical store is the social meeting place for the community to share ideas.

-Having been involved in fashion and street culture for so many years, how do you stay curious, motivated, and energized?

I’m not sure I know how to answer that other than saying I have always been curious, motivated, and energized.

I think it’s just part of my makeup – whether that is nature or nurture… I don’t know.

At some point, fashion became a vehicle through which I saw that I could possibly make a living by applying my energy to, and it stuck.

I like to communicate, and fashion has become one of the main ways I do this, so I am always looking for new words (fashion) to add to my vocabulary.

Admittedly, at some point along the way, I discovered Japan, and that has been my main language ever since.

-Finally, what do you hope UNION customers and Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO fans will take away or feel through this collaboration?

I hope more than anything that Union customers will appreciate the friendship that Union and Mihara Yasuhiro have,

and I also hope that maybe some Union customers who might not be familiar with Mihara Yasuhiro will be curious to learn more about this amazing brand!

Chris Gibbs

Having built a long career as a buyer at UNION NY, which opened in 1989, he now owns both UNION LA and UNION TOKYO.

In 2016, he was selected for the HYPEBEAST 100, recognizing the world’s most influential artists and creatives.

About | UNION

Born out of the desire to have a place to showcase what the local community of kids were up to with music, art and fashion,

as well as being a bridge to unique items from various parts of the world,

Union first opened its doors in NYC back in 1989 on Spring Street in Soho.

In short, it was the store that represented the fashion side of New York City’s youth and counter culture.

The Los Angeles shop followed soon after when Eddie Cruz (one ofthree original owners) decided to move west.

Maintaining the same principles as the New York shop, Union LA embraced the creativity of fresh designers,

within the city and continued the hunt for cool shit coming out of countries like Japan and the UK.

Over 20 years later, Union continues to bring its customers acurated selection of up and coming designers,

mixed with off-the-beaten-path high-end brands from all over the globe.

Union’s concept is simple (and we have stuck with it since day one):

buy brands that we will wear ourselves and clothes that walk the line between fashion and function,

avoiding the ‘costumey’ side of fashion by offering classics with a twist.

The LA shop is now theonly remaining door and is currently owned and operated by Chris Gibbs,

who worked at the original NYC shop as a young’un.

Come through and check for yourselves.

【Stores】

Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO official online store

Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO JINGUMAE BUILDING

Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO Osaka

Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO Isetan Shinjuku Men’s

Maison (MY)Labo.