Founded in 2001 as an extensive art project, avant-garde Japanese brand Julius is the brainchild of designer Tatsuro Horikawa.

Inspired by subcultural author Hakim Bey and his concept of Temporary Autonomous Zones – liberated spaces where freedom and a better world can be experienced as more than just abstract visions, even if for only a moment – Horikawa created an independent brand that freely enabled him to fuse his own experience in music, visual and graphic art.

Collaboration is at the core of Julius, working with artists, musicians and record labels to create visceral catwalk/presentation experiences. Take Horikawa’s FW17, for instance, based on William Gibson’s 1984 cyberpunk novel Neuromancer, the designer enlisted Berlin-based producer Lotic to create a suitably unnerving soundtrack that mirrored the collection’s sci-fi aesthetic.

Here, photographer Aurélien Caoudal shoots the brand’s Fw17 collection exclusively for HERO.

Follow Julius here.