Upon receiving a plastic white bow-tie as the invitation for the Yohji Yamamoto show, one could expect a certain grandeur was afoot – whether as tacky as the fabric or as whimsical as the idea of this historical neckpiece. Under the glare of their showroom lights in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, Yohji proved the latter, delivering a period story of formalwear with all the pomp and ceremony of an Edwardian court.
Opening in heavy brocade tailcoats, powdered faces and tightly-pinned curls, Yohji’s men were European gentleman of the highest calibre.
Returning to the early days of a fashion designer’s work is an interesting exercise that maps an intellectual and aesthetic journey, an evolution of means and commercial motives, and a general progression with the times. For A#2’s Yohji Yamamoto this has been a long road, as he began showing in Paris over two decades ago in 1981.
Crowned the master of black, Yohji was a revolutionary who interpreted classical European tailoring into a new and exciting silhouette, falling with a new exaggerated volume and asymmetric cut. With a loose androgyny, Yohji introduced a generation to a comfortable luxury built on draping and texture, crisp whites contrasting inky black and rare bursts of bold colour.
Through the years, Yohji has not wavered from his vision, despite the dramatic changes in mainstream style and within the work of other designers. As the images below illustrate, elements of his work can be seen following through many collections, from the earliest images we have from 1983, all the way through to his most recent show. From a polished lace-up shoe to a flowing white shirt, his signature is unmistakeable, and his legacy an inspiration to many as a benchmark of fine craftsmanship and a sensual approach to avant-garde fashion.
A BLOG is excited to announce a new exhibition opening at the Barbican in London in October this year, entitled Future Beauty: Japanese Fashion, 1981 – 2011. The exhibition is curated by Akiko Fukai, a Japanese fashion historian and the director of Kyoto’s Costume Institute, and is Europe’s first in-depth study of avant-garde Japanese fashion from the past twenty years. From the early years of the influential trio of Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake to their proteges such as Junya Watanabe and UNDERCOVER’s Jun Takahashi, Japanese fashion will be explored from the established masters to the new guard of radicals.
For the scenography of the exhibition, Fukai will work with Sou Fujimoto, one of a new generation of Japanese architects working closely with the natural world, white space and abstract forms.
Please follow for more updates of this exciting event!
Japanese Fashion 1981 – 2011
15 October 2010 – 6 February 2011 Barbican Art Gallery
Photographer Donata Wenders – the wife of legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders – holds a fascination with Yohji Yamamoto, the magic of his shows, and his austere garments. Read more here.
It was a dark and rainy January day in Paris during the Mens Fashion show. I was invited to Comme des Garçons and decided to shadow my face by wearing a black velvet hat. I was sitting near to my dear friend ‘little big man’ Azzedine Alaïa and we started to laugh and chat while waiting for the show to begin. I sensed that someone was taking the seat to my left, it was Yohji Yamamoto!
He said very softly, bending towards me, almost under my hat, “What are you doing these days?” I said, “I am taking time for myself”. He said “You have a beautiful hat”. I said, “Thank you very much”.
The day after, I was invited for tea in the Marais. He said, “I have the feeling my language is not understood”. I said, “I understand you”. He said, “I wanted to ask you to be my translation.”. A few months after, I said “Yes”.
