Noritaka Tatehana was born into a family running a public bathhouse, Kabuki-yu, in Kabukicho, an entertainment district located in the center of Tokyo. His father is a president of a company and his mother is an instructor of Waldorf dolls, used in Waldorf or Steiner education. Noritaka was raised in... Read more
Noritaka Tatehana was born into a family running a public bathhouse, Kabuki-yu, in Kabukicho, an entertainment district located in the center of Tokyo. His father is a president of a company and his mother is an instructor of Waldorf dolls, used in Waldorf or Steiner education. Noritaka was raised in Kamakura, where he initially started making dresses and shoes, all self-taught, when he was 15. He studied Fine Arts and Sculpture at the Tokyo National University of the Arts, later majored in dyeing and weaving. He did a research on gOiranh or the courtesans of high rank in Edo period (1600-mid 1800). In the meantime, he created kimonos and getas (Japanese clogs) using Yuzen, the traditional Japanese dyeing method. In 2010, he established his own maison, Noritaka Tatehanah. Every step of the manufacturing process of his shoes are handcrafted by the designer himself. Not only are his collection pieces held with admiration in the fashion industry, but they draw attention from the art world as well. His works are widely known to be loved by Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness.