N. Hoolywood has become, in just two short seasons of presenting in America, one of our very favorites, a sure-thing collection that captures the earthier, rougher sides of our imaginations. Last season, Tokyo-based designer Daisuke Obana used old fashioned criminality as his source material, but this year, he's set his sights on a outdoorsy aura. Held at New York's grand old Park Avenue Armory, models were decked out in hiking gear worthy of base camp at K2, pick axes dangling from their hands and faces orange with wind burn. There was a bleak vibe to the show, creepy staccato plucking as the soundtrack, but there was also an optimism as the models charged through ready to face the challenges ahead, a metaphor not unhelpful for bleak times around the world. We caught up with Obana backstage, and with the aide of a lovely translator, he talked to us about the collection.