If you like Japanese animation, rock and roll and fashion, you are most likely a fan of Nana. Ai Yazawa’s cult series, released in different formats such as anime (animated TV series), manga (comic book) and live action (movie with human actors), is a staple for anyone who loves Vivienne Westwood’s punk rock garments, heart-wrenching stories and flawed, realistic characters who make the worst possible life decisions – and look incredibly stylish while doing so. While the story hasn’t been updated since 2009, its popularity has increased nonstop due to new generations of fans rediscovering it and recreating the outfits of Nana‘s cast not only as cosplay, but incorporating it to their daily style.
2025 and 2026 were particularly auspicious years for the worldwide legion of Nana‘s fans. The continuation of the story in comic book format was announced by Yazawa, as well as a capsule wardrobe released in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood in 2025, and 2026 started with the news of Japanese brand ADDIXY releasing yet another Nana-inspired collection. Saki Horiuchi, ADDIXY’s founder and creative director, is no stranger to musical influences in her work. “I think that music goes beyond genres or bands, it’s a reflection of people’s feelings and their actitudes towards life”, she declares.
Also, as this brand aims to create clothing that is both cool and wearable for today’s customers, Horiuchi made comfort a key component of this collection. Looking as cool as Nana Osaki and her band is important, but being able to move through daily is too. The collection includes reimagined, more sophisticated versions of punk rock gear classics like parachute shirts, stripped t-shirts, biker jackets and bondage pants, in looser fits and dark plaid hues, while keeping rebellious details with disheveled stitching and combat boots.
Vivienne Westwood and her groundbreaking fusion of high fashion and punk rock’s D.I.Y. spirit is central to Nana, almost a character in itself, and while Horiuchi undoubtedly has a deep respect for Westwood, she made sure to include her own perspective in her version of Yazawa’s world. “We focused on creating a collection imagined from the perspective of how the kids that grew up with the music that you can listen to on the series would wear these styles as adults of today. The young energy and vitality are there, but with the nuances of calm strength and space that can only come as you go through life and learn with the passage of time.”
Following this emotional connection through fashion, ADDIXY put the spotlight of this collection on three specific characters of Nana: the emotionally complex yet powerful and ambitious Nana Osaki, her love interest (and best ever anime rendition of Sid Vicious) Ren Honjo, and rent boy turned bass virtuoso Shin Okazaki. They all share a fascinating contrast of complicated lives, very sensitive personalities and tortuous pasts, wrapped up in badass rockstar gears and attitudes to match. For Horiuchi, Nana is the most influential, not only this time but on her overall work as a fashion creator. “I’ve always been captivated by the way she lives, embracing both strength and fragility, dependence and independence. It’s her and the other characters way of life, with all their contradictions, that has struck such a chord among young audiences, and it’s precisely because they’re imperfect that their emotions are real. I’m drawn to the way this is highlighted in their music and the way they express themselves, even down to the way ADDIXY shows a balance of being both sensitive and strong, which I think was subconsciously influenced by Nana Osaki.”
The attention that this collection brought to ADDIXY, especially from outside of Japan, has increased their recognition and opened new possibilites, commercially and creatively. Of course, this also includes potencial collaborations with other creators: “I’m very interested in collaborating with people who has a strong worldview or axis of expression. Regardless of genre, we would like to continue exploring collaborations that can create new perspectives to connect music, fashion and expression.” Chances are, Saki Horiuchi and ADDIXY will continue to succeed on this purpose.
