Hommyo Hidefumi of atmos
Business of HYPE
HYPEBEAST
4.8 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 15 June 2020
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hommyo Hidefumi is the founder of legendary Tokyo-based sneaker boutique, atmos. The store is more than a retail space, but a cornerstone of streetwear culture that helped cultivate the early sneaker scene in Japan. Many attribute the store to having not only the best collection of sneakers to date, but also having some of the best collaborations of all time—most notably with Nike and their ever popular Air Max 1's.
With more than 30 stores globally, Hommyo opened atmos in Harajuku in 2000 after the success of his first retail store Chapter. Soon after, young kids all over the world were traveling to atmos, and it became the mecca of sneaker culture in Asia. Atmos is a reflection of Hommyo's ability to personify every sneaker that comes through his space. He is in every right an auteur, being able to create a unique narrative whether it's through the sneaker accounts at his store or the variety of collabs atmos has worked on.
Hommyo's penchant for sneaker collecting began in the early 90's while attending college in Philadelphia. Soon enough, he was driving along the East Coasting copping sneakers at a fraction of the price they were sold overseas. The rest there on after would become streetwear history. While businesses are focusing more digitally, Hommyo still emphasizes the importance of a retail space, being that "we are humans, not robots" and that all the "f***ing talking, bulls*** talking" is an absolute necessity when it comes to sneaker culture. In this episode, he breaks down the early days of atmos, what it takes to survive in this competitive market, the future of streetwear culture and more.
Thank you so much for tuning into the Business of HYPE. As always, thank you for tuning into HYPEBEAST Radio and Business of HYPE. Please don't forget to rate, comment and subscribe to our other shows. This episode was recorded prior to COVID-19 with the interludes recorded during. We hope you guys stay safe, wash your hands, practice social distancing and find ways to still stay inspired during this time.
For more info: https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/atmos-interview-founder-hommyo-hidefumi-business-of-hype-jeffstaple-episode-76
https://www.instagram.com/atmos_japan/
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/businessofhype/supportTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | From Hype Beast Radio, I'm Jeff Staples, and this is the business of hype, a show about creative entrepreneurs, brand builders, innovators, and the realities behind the dreams they've built. |
| 0:35.7 | For sneakerheads everywhere, whether you live as a fan of the culture or you're an industry |
| 0:40.5 | veteran, today's guest is one of the pioneers of the game. For decades, this man has been |
| 0:46.4 | behind the scenes navigating his way through sneaker culture. But you rarely see him on any |
| 0:52.1 | most influential list. And I don't even think the man has an Instagram account. |
| 0:56.9 | But you know how they have that hashtag, if you know, you know. |
| 1:00.2 | He is the prime example of that. |
| 1:03.2 | People who know him bow down. |
| 1:06.0 | He has created one of the most well-known retail businesses in the world |
| 1:10.3 | and has also created some of the most sought-known retail businesses in the world, and has also created some of the |
| 1:12.2 | most sought-after collaborations as well. Homio Hidefumi is the founder of the legendary |
| 1:18.3 | Japanese brand, Atmos. Now, if you've never heard of Atmos, chances are you've definitely |
| 1:24.2 | seen one of their many collaborations. The brand is responsible for some of the most important collabs of all time. |
| 1:30.8 | The Nike AirMax Safari, the Nike AirMax Elephant Print, the Duck Camo Editions. |
| 1:35.8 | The list goes on and on. |
| 1:37.4 | Atmos collaborations set a new standard for retailers and brands working together. |
| 1:43.1 | Atmos actually has roots going way back to |
| 1:45.9 | Homo's early days of collecting sneakers, going along the east coast of America and creating |
| 1:51.5 | a currency of footwear back in his hometown of Tokyo. Even his first attempt at retail, |
| 1:57.8 | a chain of shops known as chapter was the stuff of sneaker history legends. |
| 2:03.0 | This would eventually lead to becoming Atmos, and Homio-San has been in the game for so long |
| 2:08.5 | that some of you may have been in diapers or perhaps not even born when he was hustling kicks from |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from HYPEBEAST, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of HYPEBEAST and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.