Wacko Maria

Slam Jam says WACKO MARIA was founded in 2005 by retired J-League footballers Keiji Ishizuka and Atsuhiko Mori. Hypebeast's 2017 HB100 profile says Mori, along with then partner Ishizuka, founded the label, and that Mori started his career as a J-League football star. Slam Jam says Ishizuka has since "left the picture" and gives no date.

The official site lists the company as WACKO MARIA Co.,Ltd. We did not find a source on outside investors, a parent company or a current majority owner.

HBX says each season's themes draw on music, film and art. Mori told Slam Jam that he buys music across rockabilly, ska, rocksteady, punk and soul, and that the brand's basic idea is to match music with clothes; the interview also notes early releases had "a little reggae".

A Houyhnhnm news article, dated February 2025, said the brand would celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025 and described it as "an all-around original style company that engages in film, photography, music, art, and all other aspects of style". HBX says the brand has worked with film director Jim Jarmusch and collage artist Weirdo Dave, and since 2011 has produced visual books with artists including Tim Barber and Larry Clark.

END. describes the label as "rebellious, bold, experimental", says its AW21 collection leaned into a bold rock 'n' roll aesthetic, and lists patterns from psychedelic spider's webs to leopard print. Hypebeast's 2019 HB100 profile names Hawaiian shirts, bold leopard prints and souvenir jackets as signature staples. Its online store lists jackets, knits, sweats, shirts, T-shirts, pants and accessories.

Hypebeast's 2017 profile notes the launch of a jewelry line. Firmament Berlin lists the Silver Nude Ring (WMGP-RG01) as crafted in Japan from premium 925 sterling silver. For an older reference point, Hypebeast said the faded graphics on the 2009 Fall/Winter Rock & Shake hoodie referenced music and Latino Catholic culture.

Hypebeast's 2019 profile lists past collaborations with nonnative, UNDERCOVER and Converse, and names Neckface, Tim Lehi and WOLF'S HEAD as artists with whom the brand has built strong relationships. Hypebeast covered a 2025 collaboration with MR. BROTHERS CUT CLUB, sold through the MR. BROTHERS CUT CLUB and WACKO MARIA webstores and through WACKO MARIA stores and dealers; the article names the brand's classic items as a switching shirt, a 50's shirt and T-shirts.

Fashion Press says the first flagship, PARADISE TOKYO, opened in Nakameguro (Ikejiri), Tokyo, in 2015. The brand's online store is wackomaria-paradisetokyo.jp, and retailers including HBX and Firmament Berlin stock its products.

HBX listed the UFC heavyweight full-zip hoodie at £215 regular and £130 on sale when we checked in October 2026, and the silver 925 Nude Ring with a ruby at £160, sold out. Firmament listed the Silver Nude Ring at €205, shown as €172.27 net plus 19% German VAT, with shipping extra. These are different products in different currencies, and the listings carried no date, so they are not a like-for-like comparison. For an older price, Hypebeast priced the 2009 Rock & Shake hoodie at ¥28,500 (approx. $319 USD) in October 2009.