Who is Hideo Kojima?
From a videogame empire to the streetwear collabs
November 12th, 2019
Producer, developer or author. It is difficult to enclose Hideo Kojima in a single definition, to find a word that can describe who has been digging himself a place in pop culture since the 1990s, earning the status of an icon. Born in Tokyo and raised under the influence of Western culture, Kojima dreamed of being a movie director but, within the rigid and pressing Japanese society, he ended up studying economics first and then writing. He chose in particular to invest in a new form of art on the rise: video games and Famicom consoles, extremely popular at the time.
Things went better than expected and, year after year, Hideo Kojima climbed the pyramid of the video game world. From his early work to the Metal Gear Solid saga, Kojima brought the video game ever closer to the cinema, ending up creating a hybrid that carried the distinctive signature and coolness of its creator. Cut-scenes, screenplays and other typical elements of the filmic medium immediately became important elements for his work. And Kojima introduced them at a time when they were seen as secondary in a video game. A great creator and innovator, in recent years Hideo Kojima has become a veritable landmark of pop culture. His Instagram account contains a bible of tips between film and music, accompanied by group photos with actors and bands. The point of arrival of this personal journey is undoubtedly Death Stranding, the first Kojima Productions work after the split with Konami.
A comparison, the one with the world of fashion and hypebeast culture, that isn't casual. Despite never having shown a particular interest in the fashion world, the name of Hideo Kojima has recently often been put close to that of different fashion brands. If the Death Stranding merch had already become a must-have, it was two collaborations that elevated Kojima to an involuntary icon of style.
First the eyewear line created together with the maison Jean-François Rey, then a custom version of the ACRONYM J1A-GT jacket created by the designer and co-founder of the Errolson Hugh brand and inspired by the look of the protagonist of the game, Sam Porter. Started with the Air Presto Mid Acronym showcased by Kojima on more than one occasion, the collaboration with the Berlin brand has then reached the virtual world of Death Stranding through some items present directly in-game along with other product placements of brands such as the Monster energy drink and the aforementioned maison Jean-François Rey.
From this point of view, the role of Hideo Kojima becomes even more relevant, that of a creative able to attract attention through hype and expectations. A Virgil Abloh of virtual entertainment, an unconscious icon born of the strange marriage between the Eastern world and Western pop culture.