Behind The Shirt

The Duality Collection explores one of humanity's oldest truths: opposing forces are not enemies but complementary aspects of a unified whole. Through Katsushika Hokusai's warrior sketches and the colorway traditions of indigo and white, we've created designs that evolve around this concept—where East meets West, tradition meets innovation and conflict meets peace.

The Genesis of Shisa

when we started thinking about what later became SHISA, our first intent was to make apparel that resonates with the things we are interested in. Weaving martial arts, philosophical concepts and street culture into one aesthetical theme. Make it interesting, make it fun and let it be more to us (and hopefully you as well) than just another piece of outfit.

In the wake of our upcoming release "Duality" we invite you for a quick walk through the thoughts and ideas behind it.

Opposing Forces: The Philosophy of Duality

The theme of duality is as old as humans consciously walk the face of the earth. Bound to the circadiane rythm, naturally drawn to the light and being cautious in the dark. It's not only engraved in our DNA but also in our views on the world. Many religious and philosophical concepts are based on ideas of opposing and paradox forces as a driver behind our daily actions.

The most prominent symbol of eastern philosophy - which we all stumbled upon in one dojo or the other - is the yin and yang. The yin and yang expresses not opposing forces but complementary aspects of a unified whole that moves constantly—a concept we explore throughout our blog and embody in the Sōkan design, which translates this ancient philosophy into modern apparel.

Aside the design notions there was also the idea to use distinctive colorways and combineable garments to underline the concept.

True Blue: The Colors of Samurai and Shinto

We are fascinated with the fact that especially in Japanese culture there is intention and meaning in almost everything. Which is one of the reasons why we want to make not just cool looking shirt designs but create with concept and respect to detail.

The base colors in Japanese tradition for example are Red, Black, White, Blue and Yellow. Each of them symbolizing different trades and used in different contexts. Especially the role of Blue (Indigo to be precise) in Japan's martial culture and its combination with White seemed as a good fit for "Duality".

This attention to cultural significance and symbolism is something we explore in depth in our article Built To Last, which examines traditional Japanese patterns and their role in design.

Samurai wore Indigo-dyed under-armor protecting them against wound infections due to its natural antibacterial compounds. The dark blue shades also helped maintaining morale in battle by rendering blood stains "invisible" as well as representing loyalty and fidelity – values highly praised in the Bushidō. White on the other hand is tightly knit to shinto traditions and ceremonies. Representing purity, truth and spiritual enlightment.

Hokusai: A Tribute to the Master

Japan's Edo period was full of amazing artists and one of the most prominent was Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). If the name doesn't ring a bell, then you definitely came across his best known piece titled "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" which blends Eastern and Western influences and kickstarted Japonism among many Europeans of the time.

We stumbled upon sketches of his "Hokusai Manga" collection which spans 15 books depicting sketches from everyday life, warriors in action and supernatural beings. Even though Hokusai is often called the godfather of manga, those drawings had very little in common of what later developed into contemporary manga culture.

Although we love collaborating with contemporary artists, we couldn't resist using Hokusai's original artworks in our designs. Not only do we want to pay homage to an extraordinary artist, but these drawings perfectly captured the essence of what we wanted to express and at the same time show our approach to martial arts apparel.

Design Process: From Archive to Apparel

We researched Hokusai's Hokusai Manga through online archives and publications, tracing the original warrior and oni sketches that resonated with our vision. The challenge wasn't just reproduction, it was interpretation. We added modern design elements to give the historical imagery a contemporary edge while maintaining the energy of the original work.

The blue isn't authentic indigo, but it references the traditional Japanese color palette we wanted to evoke. Same with the white—these colorways nod to samurai and Shinto traditions without claiming to be historically exact. The goal was to create something that feels rooted in that heritage while working as modern apparel.

Each piece is hand-screen printed to preserve the detail and give the designs the tactile quality they deserve.

Wear The Philosphy

The Duality Collection is for those who understand that strength lies not in choosing sides but in embracing paradox. For practitioners who train in the hard and soft. For people who navigate tradition and innovation daily. For anyone who recognizes that opposing forces create the tension necessary for growth.

From samurai battlefields to modern dojos, from Hokusai's studio to your day to day journey—the philosophy remains the same: balance is not stillness. It's the dynamic interplay of complementary forces moving constantly.

Explore the full Duality Collection and find the piece that speaks to you.