Tetsuya Nomura’s designs embraced Y2K fashion and never let go.

Over the past three decades, Tetsuya Nomura has become an instantly recognizable name in part due to his contributions to the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series. Nomura is not only known as a game designer and director – he’s also famous and sometimes famous for his fashion designs. His works featured prominent actors and ensemble casts wearing multiple belts and zippers for the play scene. These unusual outfits have one thing in common: they’re inspired by real-life street fashion trends.

In 1997 Final Fantasy VII, Tetsuya Nomura created some of his most famous character designs to date. But it wasn’t until then Final Fantasy VIII And BouncerReleased in 1999 and 2000 respectively, the influence of Real Life Trends became undeniable in Nomura’s work. One of Square’s lesser-known titles, Bouncer It was chock-full of eclectic character designs; The PlayStation 2 beat-’em-up is one of Nomura’s standout projects, at least from a fashion standpoint. It’s packed with people wearing some of the strangest and most popular fashion trends of the early 2000s, bringing them into the modern edgy city: high-waisted camo pants, cropped leather jackets, and big yellow jumpers with “Gothic” writing.

In a 2000 interview with IGN about Bouncer, Nomura revealed his inspiration for the game’s character designs, and the answer was surprisingly simple: “Basically, most of my ideas come from movies and magazines, or I create them in my head. Nomura’s mix of real life trends and his own imagination Bouncer It resulted in some of his most iconic creations, such as Walt Kruger’s famous denim jeans and Ku Leifoh’s fake tribal tattoos and ill-fitting camo pants. Final Fantasy VIIIReleased a year ago BouncerIt feels similarly ripped from the 2000s, with Zell Dinch’s high-waisted denim shorts and Reno Hartley’s bike shorts and denim skirt combination. These designs accurately reflect the time in which the game was developed.

Image: Square Enix

Bits and pieces of designs from over the years can be found in Nomura’s work, samples from various Japanese or international fashion styles. Nomura tried to choose character clothes while using those real-life inspirations. In the year In a 2016 interview with Bloomberg, Nomura said, “In the real world there are different ways to express individuality, but in the limited world of video games, clothes are one of the most important things that define and define a character.” Individuality” This is especially true with the younger members of any Final Fantasy collection that Nomura had a hand in designing. Squall Leonhart is a good example of this: dressed in black leather pants and a cropped, fur-lined leather jacket, he looks cool and rebellious at a glance. It gives the player a quick idea of ​​what it looks like and the “modern” world Final Fantasy VIII It’s compared to your loved ones Final Fantasy III Or IV.

Image: Square Enix

Final Fantasy XIn the year Released in 2001, it’s another example of that practice, with characters clearly influenced by Y2K-era styles. To celebrate the 20th anniversary Final Fantasy X, Famitsu interviewed several members of the development team, including Nomura, who explained the process of designing Tidus and Yuna. Tidus’ design has gone through several iterations, according to Nomura, from a plumber to a Blitzball player fans will recognize in the late ’90s incorporating athletic wear into his outfit.

Nomura went on to create character designs for the 2003 split series. Final Fantasy X-2He saw Yuna return with Al-Bhd Alchemist Riku. The contemporary designs feel more contemporary than the characters’ fashion choices. Final Fantasy X. Yuna wore a lace-covered hooded top and low-rise shorts, both signature fashion trends at that particular time. Rikkun’s improvement is particularly noticeable; Her outfit feels deeply inspired by various elements of Y2K fashion, from her miniskirt and calf-length cowboy boots to the popular trends a few years before the game’s release.

Throughout Nomura’s work as a character designer and art director, he’s drawn closer to obvious inspirations from popular fashion trends or famous designers. This includes collaborations with fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Hiromu Takahara Final Fantasy XV. Takahara was able to create the final costumes worn by Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis. Close to the final release Final Fantasy XV, the official clothing line released by Takahara clothing brand Ron. This includes replicas of the clothes that Takahara created.

Image: Square Enix

It feels like a natural progression as some of Nomura’s designs remain some of the most influential and recognizable designs of the past two decades of gaming. Although fashion has moved away from these loud and eye-catching designs to the mainstream over the past eight years, Nomura has held on to Y2K-era silhouettes and styles. It never goes beyond this particular beauty, and it is well felt in the designs inside. Final Fantasy XV And to some extent Kingdom Hearts 3Especially post-grunge, which began to seep into designs in the late 90s when plaid came into vogue. And even though Nomura doesn’t dominate the supergroup collaborations on display in 2018, there are still some subtle notes from the Y2K fashion revival with obvious nods to normcore style.

Although Nomura’s work has felt shabby or out of style for the past two decades, the Y2K revival has arrived in 2021 and 2022, when Nomura’s designs will once again come back in fashion. When it comes to fashion trends, good times and bad times prove to be something of a flat circle. Nomura’s determination to weather that storm and make the best of it has resulted in some amazing work, including some of the most iconic designs in gaming. Whether you think the coolness is real or not, Numura has undoubtedly left his mark on the genre.