Another runway in Tokyo worth saving: HARE writes a brand-new fashion chapter in a 400-year-old Japanese garden!
Black and white haven’t disappeared, and Japanese aesthetics are still very much there!
When you think of the Japanese brand HARE, black and white, sharp tailoring, and a cool, slightly distant Mode aesthetic likely come to mind. For Spring/Summer 2027, though, the familiar HARE has clearly taken on a different look. The brand recently presented its new collection at Happo-en, a Japanese garden in Tokyo’s Shirokanedai with more than 400 years of history. Against the tranquility of the traditional garden, saturated shades of bright red and fuchsia appeared on the runway in succession, signaling a new chapter for HARE after redefining its brand positioning.
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HARE’s latest name carries the meaning of “clear skies after rain”
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The Spring/Summer 2027 collection is titled “霽レ,” pronounced the same as HARE. “霽” refers to the clouds clearing and the sky and scenery becoming bright again. After the pandemic and rapid changes in the fashion landscape, HARE revisited the brand’s original vision. Its signature cool Mode edge remains, while this season brings in more vivid color and aims to make clothes for “everyday” wear as glamorous as festive attire.
The shift is also clear in the runway imagery: rich reds and pinkish purples sweep across elongated silhouettes and layered looks, bringing an almost uninhibited vitality to the black-and-white HARE everyone knows.
Why choose a 400-year-old Japanese garden?
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The most appealing part of the show isn’t just the clothes. Happo-en’s Japanese garden has more than 400 years of history, preserving Japanese culture and tradition while continuing to give the space new meaning as times change. This also echoes HARE’s long-standing design approach of bringing Japanese culture, art, and contemporary fashion into the same setting.
As models with a distinctly modern feel moved through the old garden, the contrast between “tradition” and “avant-garde” became the collection’s most beautiful backdrop. For HARE, starting over doesn’t mean overturning everything from the past. It’s more about gradually growing into something new from its existing foundation.
Taiwan is getting an exclusive version, available for a limited time in late September
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There’s also a small surprise for HARE fans in Taiwan. As the brand continues to expand across Asia, Taiwan has become one of HARE’s key markets. For this release, the Spring/Summer 2027 Runway commemorative T-shirt introduced in Japan will be offered in a “Taiwan-exclusive colorway,” available in limited quantities from late September at four physical stores in Taiwan and on the andST Taiwan website, priced at NT$ 2,690.
HARE has always been adept at using cool-toned, clean-cut silhouettes to give everyday outfits a slightly unconventional feel. This time, “霽レ” really does seem to have parted the clouds. Black and white haven’t disappeared, and Japanese aesthetics remain, yet with the addition of red, fuchsia, and a brighter mood, we’re beginning to see another HARE. Perhaps this is the most fitting expression of “clear skies after rain.”
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