VISUAL TALES: Let’s start with just the name. HIKARI NO YAMI How the origin came about naming your label.
JAKARIE WHITAKER: Well the brand’s name: Hikari No Yami is Japanese for Finding the Darkness in Light or Light of Darkness. When naming my brand I really wanted to focus on the philosophical idea of tackling opposing forces and cultural bridging that I would be tackling.

VT: Share with us your background and how you decide to become a fashion designer. Was starting your label always been in your plans?
JW: Well my background isn’t the typical designer’s story. I grew up in Flint, Michigan with the prospects of pursuing the medical field to become an anesthesiologist. During my gap year fresh out of school, working at General Motors I was watching YouTube video and discovered a designer by the name of Virgil Abloh and that’s when I began being interested in Fashion Design as an actual career and dream. So I decided to swap majors last minute and attend Clark Atlanta University, Academia Italiana, Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo and finally getting ready to start my MA at Central Saint Martins. While in the industry I’ve worked internationally as a pattern making and menswear design intern for companies such as Off-White, Yohji Yamamoto, Fumito Ganryu, Comme Des Garçons and KITH. Whilst working in Hikari no Yami and being able to snag accolades such as a CFDA Scholarship, Four Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarships, A Designers for the Planet Award etc. Starting a label was and is a fairly fresh dream of mine but now is fully realized.

VT: Back in January you presented your new collection for fall in a spacious gallery. It was great to meet you and be able to view the collection with your vision in mind. Tell us about the concept and why you chose to present it in that format.
JW: For our AW25: Chapter 8 collection titled “The Turn of the Screw”. The collection was centered around the idea of youthful rebellion and the punk scene from the minority point of view, while bridging cultures. I decided to present this years chapter in Paris because I felt I was finally ready to bring over the collection to the grand stage. I also decided the format of an exhibition because I prefer showing my clothes in a format of immersive storytelling while being able to visual view and interact with the garments.

VT: On your socials and also all through your work, it is evident that you have a huge influence from REI KAWAKUBO, YOHJI YAMAMOTO and JUNYA WATANABE. Share with us why these iconic designers are so inspiring and reflecting in your work. 
JW: Oh most definitely! For me, I’ve always had to approach fashion from a rebellious perspective view point and these Japanese designers were the people who made me interested in Japanese design sensibilities and avant-garde anti-fashion philosophy. Yohji I now see as a personal mentor and huge inspiration after working under the entire studio! Rei and Junya inspire my design philosophy of searching for something new and unseen has always been a huge factor in my dream as well. I believe working with all of these companies allowed me to refine my design philosophy and style. The ability to combine different brands, influences, cultures, techniques etc has allowed me to develop Hikari no Yami into a unique perspective view point in fashion today.

VT: Describe your designing process on a given collection.
JW: My design process is very simple. I start by selecting a novel to base the entire idea of the collection on. Next I begin to attach dualistic ideas and philosophies from whatever I’ve read and see how I can pose two questions to the viewer. And lastly I begin to source the pre-used garments, dead stock fabrics and materials and start to deconstruct and reverse tailor everything until I see the questions of the collection answered in my head. I don’t use moodboards, photographic inspiration, sketches, etc… because I want to approach design from the blank perspective. I’m trying to bring physical tangible form to philosophical ideas.

VT: For an emerging designer’s point of view, what’s your take on the industry? We would like to give u the platform through this interview to send a message out, what would u like to tell your fellow designers and the industry as a whole?
JW: As an emerging designer I believe the industry is an interesting place to be. It’s a system that can use many improvements like most systems today. It’s definitely a battlefield but it’s very exciting to navigate and I was sent to shake the current system up. I would like to offer my fellow emerging designers a piece of advice: As long as you have a distinct dream, know the direction you’re going in, and understand why you’re doing what it is you’re doing… you’ll be fine!

VT: What’s your view on AI technology? Do you see benefits from a fashion perspective?
JW: Hmmm…this is a bit of a double edged sword. I always believe in the concept of innovation in all forms of whatever it is we’re striving for as a society. I think AI is counterproductive to our creative capacity, a lot of brands begin to lose their autonomy when being drowned in AI, but then again a lot of brands are thriving off what AI has to offer. So I see benefits but also detriments.

VT: What’s been the most challenging about being an independent designer?
JW: I think being self funded is extremely challenging, especially when attempting to do things at the scale Hikari no Yami strives for. I also want to say making a name for myself/networking expectations: it’s a very daunting task that’s part of the current fashion system that I’d love to improve upon.

VT: Since you have a deep connection with REI, YOHJI, JUNYA and VIRGIL, name one of each of their collection that is especially vital and influential in the development of your design esthetic. Please explain why you chose that collection.
JW: Comme Des Garçons by Red Kawakubo AW23 Return to the Source or AW82 Destroy: Because these collections from Rei inspired me to develop the idea of reverse tailoring, destroying garments to tell stories, go against traditional norms and rip garments apart to start from scratch.

Yohji Yamamoto Homme AW20: Because I love the idea of being a non conformist, and the melancholy in each of Yohjis collections show me how a brand can be consistent yet always be evolving and remain emotionally stable.

Junya Watanabe AW06: Because it’s the first collection of Junyas I saw and it inspired me to begin combining fabrications, work with textiles, explore cuts and that it’s okay to infuse color sometimes.

Off White by Virgil Abloh AW22: The first ever collection of Virgil’s brand that I saw and the look partnered with PAF is a giant influence in a lot of Hikari no Yami pieces.

VT: Have you met most of your heroes? What was it like meeting them for the first time?
JW: Sadly I was unable to physically meet the man who would inspire me to begin my career in the fashion industry ie Virgil Abloh. I have met and worked directly under Yohji and I feel that elevated my design style tremendously and also helped me tap into my principles. I’ve met Rei and it was very intimidating, the first time I met Rei I almost fainted! And it was at a Comme des garçons show that I barely was able to get into! I have not met Junya he’s tooo illusive lol

VT: There’s been some talk for a while about whether the system of having fashion weeks is relevant. What’s your view?
JW: I definitely think Fashion Week is a necessary part of the fashion system still. It allows us to meet incredible people, show our work on a more person level than just dropping a lookbook digitally, and bring together people from all walks of life to appreciate brands and the craftsmanship that goes into these seasonal collections.

VT: Are there emerging designers that you feel currently that have made an impact on you?
JW: As of late, I have been loving the Korean brands such as Post Archive Faction and Jiyong Kim for the way the approach business model and innovation within clothing but brands such Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, Melitta Baumeister etc have inspired me to begin my brand in the first place and also to keep moving forward.

VT: Outside of the hetic schedule of fashion, what are some things you like to do to unwind.
JW: Hikari no Yami has fused into my life so it feels like everything I do is in one way shape or form tailored to my brand. I’d say probably sleep, watch anime or read.

VT: Lastly, what are you currently working on and what can we expect from Hikari no Yami in the coming months leading up to the SS2026 season?
JW: As of right now the collection idea has been formed but is top secret. But I’m sure you’ll all love it! Hikari no Yami will be perusing the Fashion Trust RTW prize as we’ve just been selected as a finalist so we’ve been swamped with that. But we also plan to do the CFDA VFF these upcoming months and plan on releasing chapter 8 for pre-sales in May.