Known as a relative outsider in Japanese fashion culture, Tatsuro Horikawa founded the brand Julius in 2001 not as a label, but as an art project meant to provide the audio and visual aspects of collections and art shows. It was not until 2004 that he showed his first clothing presentation, entitled the 'Tokyo Collection,' which displayed inspirational abstract art alongside garments made from predominantly leather and other fine materials.

Named for the month of Horikawa’s birth, July, Julius has always sought to intertwine the worlds of art, music (particularly punk), architecture, travel and emotion to provide further context for the lifestyle of the wearer, not just the aesthetic. When speaking of the philosophy behind the brand, Horikawa has said that, "The aim is not only to create simply ‘clothing' but rather, to create and contribute to a person's total lifestyle and existence.”

Using influences ranging from traditional monk attire and the concept of Zen, to African spiritual music, Horikawa has created a fully-fledged, truly conceptual, avant-garde brand with both men's and women's lines and accessories. When asked in a 2014 interview by Deux Hommes to describe Julius in 7 words, Horikawa chose the following: Black, Chaotic, Industrial, Techno, Avant Garde, Contemporary, and Minimal. It's not a coincidence that "black" was the first word he chose as the color is the foundation behind Julius. Horikawa favors it above all others and in an interview with Hypebeast, Horikawa elaborated, "To be honest, apart from black, I've never worn any other colors in my adulthood. Black has a lot of meaning in life.” Though certainly not for everyone, Julius is gaining popularity as more and more fashion-conscious folks opt for a darker facade.

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