In 2024, it’s nice to imagine we’ve moved beyond the barriers of gatekeeping and exclusivity that have long dominated the fashion industry. Throughout the last 20 years as streetwear and luxury have continued to coalesce, fashion culture now rises as much as it is dictated top-down by the elite. People have more opportunities than ever to have a serious run at fashion success. While Virgil Abloh was a polarising figure, his ascension to the heady heights of Louis Vuitton was a clear signal to those 16-year-olds screen printing their sweatshirts, that they, too, could be the head of a storied legacy house. While young designers can get started more easily than ever, it’s still difficult to break through beyond being an indie brand. What’s missing? The access to platform, infrastructure, and distribution – a gap that Kenzo Nakamura and Tim Nolan are trying to bridge, through Harmony-NY.

Envisioned as a new way of organising a streetwear label, Tim and Kenzo describes Harmony-NY as a New York headquartered streetwear label run by a ‘global creative collective’. Departing from the norms of conventional fashion brands, Harmony-NY operates as a decentralised system with a collective of 1000 'key holders’, comprising 900 purchasing members and 100 creatives who earn keys through application to control the brand.

While Harmony-NY will be headed by a Creative Director elected every two years, community control sits at its core. Pivotal decisions, such as the brand's name, and certain product decisions are placed firmly in the hands of the community. Key staff, including graphic designers and pattern cutters, will also be hired from within Harmony-NY’s ranks thereby boosting access to work on a brand with a broad distribution.

It’s Kenzo and Tim’s hope that, through Harmony-NY, a new generation of fashion leaders will emerge boosted by the power of community and hopes to champion the LVMH ‘up & coming streetwear talent’ award. In this interview, we sit down with Kenzo and Tim to get an inside look at Harmony-NY, how they intend to balance creative direction with community control, and what the collective might look like in a decade’s time.

How did the idea of Harmony-NY come about and why did you decide to collaborate with each other?

Kenzo – I’ve long been captivated by the concept of Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs), and for a long time, I’ve harboured a goal to sculpt a DAO-like structure into a design collective. I started off at Meta, but post mass layoffs in 2022, I yearned for something beyond the classic corporate world. That’s when I created Harmony-NY. I remember watching Project Runway with my girlfriend, and I thought, “ok great, how can I recreate this in mixed-reality, and integrate this with a community dialogue?” Fast forward seven months, Tim and I have been grinding to solidify this new concept of Harmony-NY. All we need to do now is propagate the word and set it in motion.

Tim – Oh, a number of things. I’ve always envisioned technology as a backbone to any of my projects. I haven’t delved into the web3 aspect like how Kenzo’s done, but the amalgamation of a collective and a design studio has been a recurring theme in my orbit. I prefer the physical. Real things. Real objects. Real products. Kenzo’s vision for the project caught my attention because of this. Not only from a web3 standpoint, but as an opportunity to amplify the conversation from the digital space and transfer it to the tangible world of streetwear. A single meeting with Kenzo was all it took, and I was all-in.

“We’re all about listening and embracing an evolving dialogue.”

Harmony-NY will have to tread a delicate balance between community control and creative direction. How will you attract the right people to membership and how do you plan to balance between a clear creative direction and community input?

Ken – Our criterion for inclusion in Harmony-NY is straightforward. We seek individuals with a unique taste, a passion for the community and creativity. We want them to be contributors and know that they have an integral part within the design process.

Tim – Navigating this delicate balance between a clear creative direction and varying community inputs has always been a subject of deliberation. I envision something dynamic –a forward direction with the classic esoteric taste from the creative directors but augmented by the community. The leaders of the collective will shortlist the creative directors, but the community picks other aspects like… what should the label name be, which items will make it to the seasonal collection, or colorways and material decisions of the items in each seasonal collection. Critical decisions are narrowed down by the board and the creative director. Then, it will be presented to the community as options, so that they are involved in shaping the trajectory of the label with each collection. In the end, it’s the community that will be living through these limited-edition collections. We’re all about listening and embracing an evolving dialogue.

Tim, you’ve mentioned that your past work has always involved culture. You were Chief Creative Officer at VICE for several years. How did you approach messaging to communicate a certain ‘taste’ level for Harmony-NY. Is Taste something cultivated, or is it merely subjective?

Tim – My definition of taste is a thought or an idea at the apex of what the generation wants at that time. But I think the main question lies here is: how do we control the taste level of these individuals; what weight can we have from the input to affect the output? We don’t know. If we had the answers, we’d be the same as every fashion label out there. But one thing is for sure, the nebulous web around Harmony-NY allows the label to go places it wouldn’t otherwise. The opportunity allows us to grow in different directions every two years (which will drive infinite value to the pieces and previous collections. You can’t get the same shirt from Harmony-NY every year because it changes depending on who the creative director is.

Shifting away from the creative aspects, how do you plan to reward the community for their inputs?

Kenzo – Our goal is to create an entertaining experience for the community to participate through events once a month, and access discounts as well as exclusive drops dedicated solely for members and key holders of the community. When a person buys the keys, they are allowed to do many things. For example, they will have some power to control the streetwear label (Headquarters situated in NYC), hold a collector’s edition box set (depending on average mint price), select free garments (depending on average mint price), have access to monthly design meetings, gain tickets for our runway shows and events, have first exclusive access to all drops and more!

“Streetwear is guarded – a singular vision crafted by small team and put out to the public… And that is the gap we are trying to fill in!”

How do you see Harmony-NY’s trajectory in the next 5 to 10 years?

Ken – Harmony-NY’s unique structure allows a direct feedback loop from consumers voting on creative directors, shaping parts of the design cycle, adding a layer of dynamism to the label. We hope that the decentralised decision-making structure ensures constant evolution, breaking away from the repetitive fashion cycle. Our first two garments are coming in the next month. We are collaborating with a web3 artist, Nearbound (@nearbound) and a streetwear talent, Ian Alexander (@ianalexander.studio)

Tim – Let’s be honest, some people might buy the keys for bragging rights, and some are committed to the idea and trajectory of the label. But, to build on what Kenzo mentioned, there is a gap we are trying to bridge. We’re trying to create a dialogue between generations. Streetwear is guarded – a singular vision crafted by small team and put out to the public. The infrastructure is the main barrier. You see so many streetwear labels popping up, but they can’t push through a certain threshold. And that is the gap we are trying to fill in! We’re not just giving them the path, but also the vehicle – a vehicle to find their own version of success.

Do you see fashion continue to become more decentralised or will it reach a tipping point where the acceleration of subculture becomes too much to fathom, and consumers start wanting authoritative guidance once more?

Tim – There are countless subcultures churning out every minute as we speak. We can’t really remove the idea of subcultures, or ‘cores’, but what we want to do is put it back to the individual to decide. Being specific to one ‘core’ is narrow minded. I believe people build their perceptions based on their self-curation. Rather than being overwhelmed from wave after wave, Harmony-NY focuses on giving keys for individuals to unlock their own possibilities, seeking to strike a balance and offer a sense of belonging.

KENZO’S TASTE

Favourite late night spot? Red Bar in Tokyo or Mood Ring, NYC

What are you reading at the moment? In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki

What’s on the playlist? 90s Triphop. Massive Attack and Portishead on Repeat

And on the wishlist? A Rimowa Attache

TIM’S TASTE

Favourite late night spot? I’m a creature of habit and tend to stay around the neighbourhood - Fanelli’s, Broome Street Bar, and The Soho Grand on Rotation.

What are you reading at the moment? Everything I need I get from you: How fangirls created the internet as we know it by Kaitlyn Tiffany, and RAYGUN: The Bible of Music and Style.

What’s on the playlist? Adventures on the Floating Island by Monster Rally

And on the wishlist? I’ve been re-evaluating my relationship with my closet and collection. Beyond purchasing some basics and footwear, I’ve been revisitng some older pieces from Y-3, Commes de Garcons and Helmut Lang - wearing them in new ways and combinations with some more low key pieces.

Follow Harmony-NY

Kenzo Nakamura: @K3N20x
Tim Nolan: @Tim Nolan
Harmony-NY: @_harmony_ny

Disruptive Harmony - Inside Kenzo Nakamura and Tim Nolan's radical vision for a decentralised streetwear brand.