Hysteric Glamour ist ein japanisches Modelabel, das 1984 von Nobuhiko Kitamura gegründet wurde.

Hysteric Glamour is a Japanese fashion brand founded in 1984 by Nobuhiko Kitamura. Since its inception, the brand has been defined by a countercultural street aesthetic. What began as an anti-fashion statement continues today with designs featuring vintage band and comic book graphics, retro automobiles, and iconic mass media imagery from the 1960s. Since the 1980s, Japan has been recognized as a hotspot for innovative street fashion, with brands like BAPE and NEIGHBORHOOD shaping the movement. Hysteric Glamour stands as a major player within this scene, blending punk influences, pop culture references, and classic Americana motifs into its designs.

Kitamura was born in 1962 in Tokyo and developed a strong affinity for Western music, particularly New Wave and Punk. He studied fashion design at the Tokyo Mode Gakuin Fashion School before starting his career at a young label called Ozone Community. At the time, a rebellion against the opulence of 1980s fashion was taking shape—young people were embracing Western subcultures, challenging norms, and making bold, anti-establishment statements through their clothing. Fashion became a form of defiance, and Kitamura was at the forefront of this movement. Encouraged by his employer, he decided to launch his own unisex brand, and Hysteric Glamour was born.

The brand quickly gained recognition after being featured in the Japanese women’s magazine Olive, which propelled it to national fame. What we now consider mainstream street fashion was a groundbreaking innovation in Japan at the time, and Hysteric Glamour quickly gained traction by selling baggy graphic T-shirts with provocative imagery, baseball caps, and hoodies. Kitamura introduced a fresh visual language to the fashion scene, heavily inspired by the works of Andy Warhol. In a 2007 interview with Nylon magazine, he reflected on this influence: "When I first started, nobody was doing what I was doing. I had no experience and no mentor, so I just read books. I had this book about Warhol’s philosophy and jokes, and it was an amazing reference (...)." Though Kitamura never met Warhol in person, he later collaborated with the Andy Warhol Foundation to create clothing that honored the artist’s legacy.

Warhol’s influence remains evident in Hysteric Glamour’s collections today. Additional inspirations include 1970s pornography, punk slogans, indie comics, psychedelia, and skull motifs. The brand’s aesthetic is unconventional, colorful, and deliberately provocative—long before these elements became commonplace in contemporary streetwear. Kitamura emphasizes humor, irony, and playfulness in his designs, believing that clothing should make people smile. Nearly 40 years after the brand’s founding, he continues to lead its artistic direction, ensuring that every project remains authentic to Hysteric Glamour’s DNA.

Hysteric Glamour describes itself as an authentic fashion brand rooted in classic American casualwear—particularly denim, military, workwear, and outdoor clothing. However, rather than simply reproducing these styles, the brand reinterprets them through the lens of 1960s to 1980s American pop culture, incorporating influences from rock music, vintage advertising, and consumer culture. This approach results in a unique blend of nostalgia and modernity, capturing the beauty of classic Americana while infusing it with a subversive, Japanese streetwear edge.

Beyond its bold prints and graphic-heavy designs, Hysteric Glamour is known for its commitment to craftsmanship and textile innovation. The brand conducts extensive research into materials and production techniques to ensure that its pieces reflect the quality and authenticity of true vintage clothing. While many of its designs pay homage to past decades, Hysteric Glamour consistently adopts new fabric technologies and construction methods, allowing for a fusion of heritage aesthetics and contemporary functionality.

Hysteric Glamour operates over 20 stores across Japan and is also available online. The brand’s offerings extend beyond men’s and women’s fashion—its Joey Hysteric line caters specifically to children. Hysteric Glamour even had a store in New York’s East Village for two years, reflecting its global influence. The brand’s product range is diverse, spanning streetwear, bags, loungewear, and even home goods. Its signature designs feature bold typography, vibrant graphics, and heavy nostalgia-driven aesthetics, making it instantly recognizable within the fashion landscape.

Hysteric Glamour has collaborated with numerous artists, musicians, and major brands over the years. Kitamura has worked with cultural icons like Iggy Pop and Patti Smith, both of whom have inspired his designs. The brand is even referenced in Gwen Stefani’s song Harajuku Girls. One of Hysteric Glamour’s longest-running collaborations has been with Playboy since 2013, featuring the magazine’s signature imagery on various garments, including graphic T-shirts and socks.

In 2009, the brand partnered with Globe-Trotter to release a Warhol-inspired luggage collection. However, one of its most high-profile collaborations came in 2017 and 2021 with Supreme, solidifying its relevance within the modern streetwear scene. Both Supreme x Hysteric Glamour collections were bold, rebellious, and packed with provocative slogans. The second collaboration featured blue leopard-print coats with red branding, chunky zip-up cardigans with phrases like "ANARCHY" and "WORLD FAMOUS," and oversized prints reading "FUCK 'EM." Other standout pieces included plaid shirts, velour track pants, bucket hats, snakeskin-patterned outerwear, and eye-catching denim designs. Both drops sold out almost instantly, reinforcing Hysteric Glamour’s cult status within the industry.

Other notable collaborations include Vans, Converse, Our Legacy, Casio, and Mulberry. Over the decades, Hysteric Glamour has evolved into a true cult label, widely regarded as an OG within the street fashion world. Its anti-establishment attitude and punk-inspired aesthetic remain highly relevant, continuously appealing to those who want to stand out, challenge norms, and make a statement through fashion.