Hirofumi Kiyonaga

A former selvedge denim and sneaker retail figure in Tokyo, Hirofumi Kiyonaga founded SOPH. in 1998 as a Tokyo-rooted menswear label fusing sportswear codes with Japanese craftsmanship. In 1999 he launched F.C. Real Bristol, the brand's football-inspired offshoot, presenting kits, training pieces and supporter wear as a fictional club whose name nods to Bristol Rovers. The two labels run in parallel through the SOPH. retail network in Japan and have produced sustained collaborations with Nike, Bristol Studio, Stussy and a long-running partnership with Nanamica's GORE-TEX work. Kiyonaga remains creative director, and the FCRB project is widely regarded as the most influential football-streetwear hybrid out of Japan.