Other Weekly RDL: Sorayama
INSPIRATION
OUTFIT
PIECES
Headwear: World Wide Sportsman Trucker Cap by Bass Pro Shops
Bandana: Unknown by Unknown
Top: Juun.J x Hajime Sorayama by Juun.J
Pant: Slim Low Denim by H&M
Footwear: Find Yourself boot by Kenneth Cole
Car: 1999 Camborghini
This all started back in 7th grade. Christmas of 2005, my brother bought me the edited version of Tha Carter II by Lil’ Wayne. This was my second rap CD, my first being Welcome Back by Ma$e, and I fell in love with the album. At that time, Wayne and Game were my favorite rappers. One of the singles off Tha Carter II is Hustler Muzik, and in that video Wayne had one of the freshest fits in a rap music video ever. (I still stand by that opinion to this day.) Because of the underappreciated luxury that is the world wide web, I was able to search and find what brand hoodie he was wearing. The brand was Bape, which was founded by a Japanese man known as Nigo and it was very expensive. There was no way I could afford even a shirt, much less a hoodie!
I began searching for similar brands and one I came across was Original Fake. OF was started and based off of a visual artist who went by the moniker, KAWS. Similar to Bape, OF was beyond my weekly allowance of $0.00. One thing that stuck, was KAWS' artwork. He became one of my favorite visual artists, and still is today. So much so, I began to keep up with work, exhibits, and collaborations. Around 2008 (or was it 2009?) he collaborated with an artist named Hajime Sorayama on a limited sculpture. With disappointment, but to no surprise, I was in no position to purchase the sought after piece of art. Sorayama became a familiar name on my radar, but he wasn’t one of my favorites until the summer of 2014.
A blog I follow, High Snobiety, posted about a capsule collection that had tees with robotic women on them. As I’m browsing detailed shots of the collection, I look to see who had been responsible for these shirts, and it was a Sorayama x Stussy collaboration. I really liked the shirts but I wasn’t able to get any due to opportunity. Because I loved the shirts, I began looking into Sorayama’s work only to find out he’s one of the dopest artists I have ever come across. His robot gynoid works are extraordinary. I made a pact to myself the next time Sorayama collaborates with a clothing brand, I will get at least one shirt. This past fall/winter, designer Junn.J came out with a collection in collaboration with Sorayama. As soon as I saw the black robot shirt, I had to have it at any cost. It’s a beautiful tee. From the embroidery of Sorayama’s name on the chest being cut off by a giant gynoid to the leather engraved tag under the collar hem, this shirt is a piece of art. Of course I had to wear it with my favorite hat at the moment, the World Wide Sportsman cap. The WWS cap may be my favorite color of all time, an almost opaque pastel yellow. I topped the fit off with an oxford-like Kenneth Cole boot that can be worn in any weather, as they have been.
As an artist myself, the majority of my art is based off the reality that is my life and emotions I experience due to that reality. Often times, I forget about the power of imagination and how far it can take us. Sorayama’s robotic work is the perfect blend of fantasy and future. Getting lost in someone else’s imagination is sometimes better than being in yours, Sorayama is just one example.