Erika Sonoda is a couture fashion designer and creator based in Tokyo. Her designs are influenced by both Japanese and Western elements. Growing up in Tokyo, she has been surrounded by the unique fashion culture, so clothing has been a way to express herself since her adolescence.

She developed her passion for creation while making her own clothing as well as websites throughout her teenage years. Underground culture has been the biggest inspiration for her ever since.

Her skills are honed from professional and academic fields in Tokyo and London. Her studies in couture design and skills bring an added elegance to her designs. Even though working for a company as a fashion designer was a valuable experience, she realised how she loved the process of creating independently, which later led her to establish her own label “Erika Sonoda”.

The theme for her latest collection is “amor fati”, Latin for “love of fate”, known from philosopher Nietzsche. His wisdom for how to live life, accept and love one’s fate even through adversity reminded her of the passion and joy for creating what she loves.

It has been a challenging time for most people the past couple of years but our journeys have made many of us grow as people and become aware of the importance of living our lives fully and staying true to ourselves. The label wishes for everyone to freely enjoy fashion to express themselves, regardless of gender, age and the norms of society, guided by the principle to: “Follow your intuition and own yourself. Live in the present, treasure the things in front of you and appreciate what you have.”