Japanese designer Mikio Sakabe presented his Fall 2026 collection in a 90-year-old haunted house in Tokyo, turning rooms into eerie scenes with models in cutesy outfits. The immersive experience drew screams from attendees, emphasizing atmosphere over clear views of the garments. Sakabe drew inspiration from Japanese horror to create a fantasy world around his designs.
Mikio Sakabe unveiled his Tokyo Fall 2026 collection on March 23 in a 90-year-old Japanese house reputed to be haunted and typically used as a horror escape room. The presentation featured 10 dimly lit, windowless rooms, each containing one or two models whose faces were hidden by hair. The models wore Sakabe's jarringly cutesy clothes while performing unsettling actions: some shivered on the floor, others faced walls, banged them sporadically, or hid in closets before emerging suddenly, prompting screams from the audience. In one room, a man brandished a crowbar in a red-glowing alcove, his grimace shown on a fuzzy television screen. Mikio Sakabe, a self-professed horror enthusiast, aimed to link Japanese horror with fashion. “Even as an adult, entering a place like that—a slightly eerie room—can easily transport you into that unique world, which I find fascinating,” he said. “I feel that horror is the easiest way to enter a fantasy world.” The low lighting obscured clothing details, aligning with Sakabe's focus on the surrounding universe rather than the garments alone. “Recently, I’ve been focusing more on conveying a sense of the world I create, rather than just showing the clothes. People who want to see the clothes can come to the showroom; I think experiencing this unique world first will leave a more lasting impression,” Sakabe explained. “If it was too bright, the clothes would be visible, but the atmosphere would be completely lost.” Sakabe's business benefits from his footwear label Grounds, known for bubble-soled sneakers popular from Tokyo to Shanghai, supporting his experimental approach. His designs—including twisted blouses, holey knits, super-shouldered blazers, and deconstructed sailor collar uniforms—appeal to a cult following for their wearable strangeness.
