Last night, over 1,500 fans showed up as Sukeban made history with their first-ever London fight at the historic York Hall.
Why should you care about Sukeban? Named for the girl gangs that emerged in the 1960s and 70s, the Japanese female pro-wrestling league helped bring feminism to the cultural forefront in Japan. Their roster features some of the world’s most talented wrestlers and opens the door to new fans by blending art, design and fashion into the experience. As a result, the group has already captivated audiences with sold-out fights in New York, Miami (at Art Basel) and Los Angeles.
Their fighters include Commander Nakajima, Sareee Bomb, Ichigo Sayaka, Midnight Player and Stray Cat. Previously, they’ve worked with renowned talent and brands such as Olympia Le-Tan, Isamaya Ffrench, Jiro Konami, Saweetie, SoftSkinLatex, Stephen Jones, Ayako Ishiguro, Jamie Reid, Nails by Mei, Atiba Jefferson, Chikashi Suzuki, Paul Sevigny, Dawnamatrix, Devra Kinery, Kali Kennedy, Dennis Lanni and Aurel Schmidt.
Sukeban in London
For the five-fight lineup in London, artists Hizgi and Saitemiss developed new manga illustrations to build the storylines ahead of time.
One standout collaboration from the latest event was with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, who co-created new makeup looks with Andrew Dahling for the competing wrestlers. After having a busy fashion month this past September at massive shows like Versace, D&G and Saint Laurent, we loved seeing McGrath’s influence in the Sukeban universe.
Another beauty highlight featured two Harajuku Star wrestlers debuting Starface’s unreleased holographic Cyber Stars, which will be available later this year.
Kunichi Nomura served as the ring announcer, while the championship belt, designed by Australian industrial designer and artist Marc Newson, was won by Sareee Bomb. Additionally, the London brand Aries launched limited edition merchandise at the event.