In 2020, HARU. founder & designer Haruko Mori started making custom-designed shoes, and started developing her own shoe & apparel company in Seattle. Growing up in Japan Haruko has a background originally in fine art, and graduated from art high school & a fine art University. At university, she received an oil painting & printing MA degree and had fine art exhibitions all over the world and collaborated with fashion brands in Tokyo. After those experiences, she wanted to make products mixed with her artwork & fashion.
”Making sneakers, T-shirts, and products with my artwork is the same as making prints for me. Printmaking has edition numbers. We make products that are limited and wearing art, those are my brand’s main concepts.
My parents were fashion lovers so I have been interested in fashion since then. When I was a student, I wanted to make something mixed with art & fashion. When I was a child, I had a short haircut as a tomboy and wore streetwear with sneakers all the time just like the boys. HARU. is me and we only make something we love.” – HARUKO MORI