Diet Butcher Slim Skin is a Japanese fashion label based out of Tokyo. Started by Hisashi Fukatami, the label focuses on producing modern clothing with punk influence with original designs. The unique approach to crossing punk style designs with classic, sophisticated clothing styles has made the label highly regarded in both Japan and a growing international community.
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Founded in 1997 by Hisashi Fukatami, Diet Butcher Slim Skin started as a way for him to integrate his ideas for a sleek version of modern street fashion, without making it conform to the normal ideals of what street fashion was at the time. Diet Butcher Slim Skin’s line consists of jeans, slim pants, footwear, and t-shirts, with a decent variety of options for men.
The head designer of Diet Butcher Slim Skin (and of a more recent creation Metal Burger) is Hisashi Fukatami, a long time devotee to punk and alternative culture, a factor that greatly influences his designs. He never studied fashion traditionally; instead spending his time working for a clothing company during his youth where he was shown how to design basic aspects of clothing by the owner.
Fukatami claims that much of his inspiration comes from his experience with punk music, including bands such as That Jam, The Clash, and Sex Pistols. The name itself comes from no particular source. Fukatami claims it was chosen because it is has a good beat and rhythm, a factor that he says influences certain designs as well.
The design philosophy behind Diet Butcher Slim Skin is one that focuses on freedom, much in the same way Punk shucks the norms of social conformity. The designer utilizes what he feels is appropriate, though many of his designs are taken from similar sources, such as the Jamie Leids graphics used on the Sex Pistols’ album covers. The fetishistic method with which these were presented has had a solid influence on how the clothing in the line is presented.
Designs are often unique in many different ways, integrating unexpected fashions into the punk base with which Fukatami works. Examples can be seen in many of the catalogs and shows in which the products are displayed. A recent brochure, for example, contains black and white images of an elderly gentleman wearing a top hat and sitting in a 19th century armchair. Various drawings cover the pages as well as the props in the photographs. Similar presentations have been seen in many of the shows and advertisements for the label as well.