Article & Interview by Kay Jay contact designsbykayjay@gmail.com

Fly Paper’s fashion month continues by turning the spotlight on a young, up-and-coming designer out of Columbus. He goes by the name of Akira Takashi, and since his start in fashion he has been making waves and headlines. In just a few short years, Akira has won several competitions throughout Ohio, was nominated for “Designer of the Year” at the Ohio Hip Hop Awards, has been featured in Columbus Alive magazine, featured on BLAKStar Radio, and even visited Paris, France – the fashion capital of the world. I sat down with Akira to ask him a couple questions about him and his craft.

FlyPaper: Tell me about your work? Specifically, how did you get involved in the fashion industry?

AkiraTakashi: I got involved honestly by just networking with the right people. A lot of people saw my sketchbook when I graduated from high school. When the time came for a show a friend of mine named Valin Ross took a chance on me and dropped my name to another friend of mine who at the time was a connect of hers named Lashawn Raney. I did my first show in 2007. From that point on people just kind of gravitated towards me and my work so I guess I do an ok job, LOL. My work is different from most. I guess to sum it all up I would call it the new sexy elegant classic.

FP: What inspires your work?

AT: Plain and simple — BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. They are a lot of the reason I do what I do. I’ve always been an artist and always loved women. The contours of the female body can be so amazingly sexy; especially when placed in the right dress or shirt or pants. What better way to live my life putting beautiful women in my form of wearable art?

FP: How do you see Akira Takashi evolving over the next year?

AT: We are in the process of evolving from just a women’s couture line to becoming more involved in the beginning stages of men’s wear as well. Just as I offer custom services for women, I will also now offer custom services for guys. I’m thinking of starting with custom suits and fedoras, but it’s still in the works. I am also planning to release my women’s shoe and handbag line before I release anything else. We want to become more of a corporation than just a “one trick” business. Fashion is only the first baby.

FP: How do you see the fashion industry in Columbus evolving? Where do you think it will be in the next year?
AT: The fashion industry in Columbus is real stagnant right now. Everybody is making moves like they are content because they found somebody to wear their T-shirt or they gave something to a celebrity while they were here at a club and to be honest there will always be people around like that especially within the next year. The industry as a whole won’t change much in a year. Most people will still be on the same small time stuff they’ve been on. I honestly believe at most we will have 4 major clothing lines come out of this city in the next year. I say 4 because my first official collection drops next year, JWork is on the rise, Fresco is nice, and I’m leaving space open in hopes that someone else coming from CCAD or out the blue will make something happen. A lot of the problem is nobody out here really has respect for Fashion as an art. They wanna make a quick buck because they think it’s trendy. Then you have the other end of the spectrum where people have a respect and love for fashion but they don’t have the business savvy to make it happen. Give me 3 years and I promise you I personally will change the entire game of fashion in Ohio and the way things are looked at. Give me 7 years and I will have changed the world of fashion majorly in some way or another. I don’t say these things in conceit or to be boastful but just speaking out of reality and what I see to be true.