From Germany to New York, from custom shoes to runway collection, Hyacyn are running it up.
I remember the custom Air Force era where brands would reimagine the iconic sneaker staple, in their brands eyes. Hyacyn was one for the brands I remembered creating some of the better ones amongst the pack. Seeing their growth from making these customs to a full runway collection is incredible to see.
The deep cobalt blue colour combined with the gritty underground vibe from both German and American cultures makes for an interesting aesthetic that we we can see portrayed across their RTW 24 - 25 collection. The cold and cryptic name of Hyacyn adds another layer of depth to this aesthetic, especially with its greek mythical background.
Hyacyn is bold, gritty, fierce and raw, Im looking forward to seeing their further pieces post runway but for now, read through to Discover the mythical story of Hyacyn.
Tell us about how the brand started, the inspiration and what created the name. Why the signature blue colour? What were your the early days like and what were the reasons for starting the brand?
As a creative director with a marketing background, I moved from Germany to New York in October 2019 and began experimenting with sneaker design after a sewing class. I started by customizing old shoes and needed a name to share my drafts online. Inspired by the Latin word for the flower “Hyacinthus,” a name my grandma suggested before I was born. Which my mom refused, but my brothers teased me with I chose the English version “Hyacinth.” The name felt both personal and cryptic. I learned then that Hyacinth was a tragic figure in Greek mythology, and Apollo created a blue flower from his blood as a tribute, making the color blue an obvious choice.
In 2020, I shared my first shoe designs on Instagram, but I didn’t realize they had gone viral until weeks later. When the pandemic hit, I was stuck in my apartment and continued creating. By the end of the pandemic, I decided I didn’t want to customize shoes forever and envisioned turning my project into a fashion brand. A trademark check revealed “Hyacinth” was already in use, so I rebranded to “HYACYN”—a shorter, unique name that preserved the original essence.
Talk us through your fashion week collection, how it went and what it’s about.
This runway show was a significant milestone for me. It allowed me to present my vision for the brand, and the feedback has been truly phenomenal. I feel like people understood my direction.
The RTW 24-25 collection captures the spirit of the early ‘80s electro-rave punk scene, blending Germany’s underground vibe with the raw feeling of American youth culture. I draw inspiration from the iconic music group DAF (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft) and the rough techno music of Berlin’s early Loveparade, where trucks transformed streets into open-air dance floors. But it also reflects the influence of Detroit’s gritty house clubs, where the music was as untamed as the style. Each piece in this collection pays tribute to that time, embodying the rebellious attitude and fierce energy that defined both the fashion and the music.
How does New York play into your brand?
New York is a force. The energy of the streets and the people I meet fuel my work. It’s less about directly translating that into my designs and more about staying true to myself, shaping my own vision for fashion.
Describe your Aesthetic
In three words: Bold. Raw. Silhouettes. My work explores proportions, shapes, and textures. Influenced by Japanese playful yet clean tailoring, I blend it with streetwear and I guess a German sense of purity.
I discovered you through your custom Air Force era, you was one of the brands doing it different during a time when the custom Air Force was very popular. Talk us through that era, what inspired the looks and if it’s something you’ll still do.
The AF1 was my canvas, a shoe I tried to completely reimagine. Eventually, I shifted focus to garments, but shoes still remain a passion. For this collection, I teamed up with @aliveform.bio, a 3D printing brand from Tokyo that I adore. The founder @commeconception and I have been discussing the future of shoes and 3D printing for years. That led to my idea of taking the steel toe from classic punk boots and turning it into a full chrome, 3D-printed toe box on one of his models. It was a journey, but the result is stunning. My goal is to create my own shoe for the next collection.
What’s next? What’s the vision?
The collection in the US—it makes sense to keep things as local as possible. Next steps include pop-up stores in NYC and LA, with plans to expand into Asia and Europe. I’m also in talks with global retailers because I’m a big fan of physical stores where people can truly experience the products, not just see them in pictures.
The vision for HYACYN is to build a global brand—not just a company, but an environment where ideas can come to life. HYACYN should be a space where people can make statements and feel comfortable being themselves.
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