Born in Tokyo and now based in New York, Kozaburo Akasaka initially studied philosophy at Tokyo University before deciding, in his final year, to pursue a career in the fashion industry instead. With no background in fashion or art, he entered Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he attained his undergraduate degree in menswear design. In the years following St. Martins, he worked for a number of designers, Thom Browne among them. His time there solidified his drive to develop his personal aesthetic into his own label, and as a result he enrolled at the Parsons School of Design to pursue his MFA. In his first year of the program he was selected for the spring/summer 2016 VFiles presentation, and, upon completion of his degree, his final thesis collection was stocked at Dover Street Market. In 2017 he took home the LVMH Special Prize.

Akasaka produces collections bi-annually for his eponymous main line KOZABURO and second line Wave of Sand, and has worked on collaborative projects with companies such as Snow Peak, Wrangler, and Vibram.