Who Is the Designer Behind Jay-Z’s Viral Sweater?

A designer’s life can change in an instant. For Asaka Fushimi, that moment came by way of a Jay-Z outfit. A photo of the legendary rapper appeared online last week in which he donned a grey sweater with mismatched sleeves made up of scraps from vintage sweaters. Fushimi still isn’t entirely sure how the sweater made it into Hov’s closet—the one-of-one top wasn’t a custom order—but it’s certainly created a high-point in her 20-plus year career.

Fushimi sells upcycled tops that cost between $550 and $2,800, along with headwear that retails between $75 and $180. Some of her pieces have been available on her web store to purchase for years. After the photo of Jay-Z and Fat Joe went viral, everything swiftly sold out in just one weekend.

“People were always like, ‘Oh my God, your stuff is so expensive,’” she tells Complex, “but people don’t really see how much time I put into sewing everything. I was really struggling to make people understand, but that just changed.”

Jay-Z isn’t the only celebrity who has been spotted in one of Fushimi’s pieces over the years. LeBron James has worn her beanies in the pregame tunnel, tennis sensation Naomi Osaka has donned her skirts, and Spike Lee once purchased a patchwork Yankees bucket hat. But don’t think Fushimi has some kind of gifting strategy.

“I never just send stuff to celebrities,” she says.

Before Fushimi was sewing together these one-of-a-kind clothes, the self-taught seamstress helped run Keshiki, a vintage boutique in Shibuya. Before she began making her upcycled gear in 2005, the self-taught seamstress helped run Keshiki, a vintage boutique in Shibuya. Her pieces began life as a ways to make use of the vintage scraps she accumulated stocking the shop. After a number of inquiries from her peers, she started to sell them. Since 2015, she has created all of them by hand in Los Angeles. Along with her web store, she also sells pieces at Hightide, a Japanese stationery shop with locations in Brooklyn and Downtown LA.

Fushimi has been bombarded with messages. She can’t confirm exactly when her next batch of pieces will be available—each item takes days to complete—ut she is working vigorously to take advantage of the new demand. Despite being grateful for the hype, she does want to make sure that her future customers shop with her for more than just a celebrity endorsement.

“I just really want more people to have my pieces and I want to connect more people. That’s my purpose,” she says. “I’m glad that people finally see the value. I hope it’s not just because of Jay-Z.”