The first large-format book on AMBUSH, one of the most influential streetwear and accessories brands to come out of Japan in the last two decades. Offering a deep dive into the brand’s teeming archive, this intuitively engineered monograph is a sleek essential for sneakerheads as well lovers of fashion, hip-hop, design, and architecture. Founded in Tokyo in 2008, AMBUSH first gained notoriety for creating the “POW!” line of rings and pendants, a design heavily indebted to American pop-art and manga which took the world of hip-hop by storm. A multi-disciplinary fashion, jewelry and industrial design practice, AMBUSH is the brainchild of Korean-American designer YOON and Japanese-Korean performing artist VERBAL. Championed from the very outset by the likes of Pharrell, NIGO and Colette, YOON’s jewelry designs often include bold motifs as seen in collections drawn from everyday objects such as office stationery, safety pins, and disposable lighters. Growing into a full fashion line that drew inspiration from the DIY aesthetic of German and Swiss rock-and-roll gangs from the 1960, campy horror films, surf and skate culture, and the apocalyptic anime of the 1980s and 1990s, AMBUSH’s open embrace of pop-culture grew a devoted following well beyond Harajuku. With Kim Jones and the late Virgil Abloh as later admirers, AMBUSH’s growing list of collaborators includes Dior, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Sacai, Off-White, and Billionaire Boys Club.
