Akira Onozuka launched the ZUCCA collection with his Paris debut in 1988, after having worked as a designer for Issey Miyake for 15 years. Onozuka treats his design process as an experiment in a three-dimensional art form, with functionality one among several goals. He finds his inspirations from things he sees and feels through his travels, books and art. What he most cherishes in the creation of his collection is the process itself, and the development and evolution that come along with it. Onozuka likens making a collection to having a small organic farm, where one has to oversee every harvest with care and attention to detail.
In 2003, Zucca Design Office celebrated their independence from the (Issey) Miyake Design Studio. Onozuka cherishes his years of working under the Issey Miyake umbrella. He views the new stage in his work as a new beginning. Onozuka is a recipient of the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prize an award given annually by Mainichi Newspaper, one of Japan’s major newspaper and magazine publishers.