At just 21 years old, Ocean Baker is already carving out a name for himself in Vancouver’s fashion scene.
Founded in 2023, his streetwear brand Natsukashii Ink blends hand-drawn illustration, Japanese tattoo aesthetics and high-end design to create pieces that are as meaningful as they are stylish. His main sources of inspiration come from his everyday life–what people are wearing on the streets, Vancouver’s vibrant street art scene and what he sees online.
“Vancouver has a lot of street art, and I also just look around on the streets to see what people are wearing,” Baker tells V.I.A. “When I went to Japan, I saw a whole bunch of unique and cool street art there.”
The name Natsukashii Ink embodies Baker’s goal of creating comfortable and chic clothing that will bring people back again and again. The Japanese word "natsukashii" expresses a sense of fondness for the past and reminiscence, and "ink" represents the artistic element of his designs.
“We wanted a name that would be really fitting to the brand. The feeling of ‘Oh, that’s that piece I love. That’s my go-to piece,” Baker explains. “Then we added the Ink to incorporate my art into it as well.”
From sneakerhead to CEO
Becoming a CEO at the age of 19 is no small feat, but Baker’s passion for fashion started early. He can’t recall a time when he wasn’t into art, design and clothing. Determined to establish his own business at 12, he reveals that Natsukashii Ink was seven years in the making.
“I remember waiting in line for Supreme to drop and it got me thinking: Imagine somebody’s waiting for my line one day,” he recalls.
Fuelled by his love of sneakers and streetwear, Baker's hobby quickly turned serious by the age of 15 when he began learning how to design and produce his own clothing.
With the support of his mother, Deborah Drummond, Baker spent his teenage years learning, sketching and coming up with a solid business plan. At 16, he went to L.A. to design and handcraft sneakers with The Shoe Surgeon. Following his return to Vancouver, he studied with a local fashion designer to learn everything from creating the patterns to cutting and sewing.
Since its launch, Natsukashii Ink has steadily grown its presence in the fashion scene, making custom pieces, collaborating with other creatives, attending community events and more. This year, the brand was featured at the 2025 Oscars Celebrity Gifting Lounge following their success at the 2024 Emmy Awards Celebrity Gifting Lounge.
Sharing his story through design
On August 9, Natsukashii Ink will launch its first streetwear collection "The 12" with a runway show at the Biltmore Cabaret, alongside the 262 Women’s Movement Book Launch. Featuring a fashion runway, awards show and art walk, the event will also include live performances by DJ D Smoove, award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah Smith and local dance group YVR Shufflers.
In collaboration with the reality series Modified by Ink, "The 12" is a collection of twelve tattoo designs, each representing a different personal journey of healing.
“[Each design] represents different traumas, told through animal symbolism,” Baker adds. “At first glance, it just looks cool—but when you look closer and read the story behind each piece, you really feel the meaning.”
Blending streetwear with high fashion, Baker’s latest collection also tells a story of his personal growth as an artist and a designer. “It’s a big jump into more of the fashion side,” he says. “Design-wise, it’s something Natsukashii Ink hasn’t really shown before.”
While Baker’s long-term goal for the brand is to open a physical store, his dreams go beyond apparel. He draws inspiration from the late Virgil Abloh, founder of the label Off-White, who designed everything from clothes to cars.
“He was not just a t-shirt designer, but a designer overall. He designed many different things and I think that’s so cool,” he says.
