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Yohji Yamamoto

Artist Info
Yohji Yamamotoborn 1943

Since his 1981 Paris debut, Yohji Yamamoto has been closely aligned aesthetically to his compatriot, Rei Kawakubo. Because of his technical dressmaking prowess and his interest in re-constructing historical Western dress, Yamamoto’s work is less conceptual than Kawakubo’s. While Yamamoto has retained the deconstructed elements and the dark color palette on which he and Kawakubo built their reputations, his collections since the mid-1990s have been sweepingly “lyrical” and even “romantic.” He often combined recognizable Western silhouettes, such as bustled coats and crinolated dresses, with unorthodox materials, such as the felt that covers billiard tables or striped silks that resemble mattress ticking, to create the most beautiful of avant-garde fashions.

Born in 1942, Yamamoto never met his father, and was raised by his war widow mother, Yumi. A dressmaker by trade, she encouraged her son to become an attorney. He graduated with a law degree from Keio University but never practiced—the lure of becoming a designer pulled Yamamoto into fashion. Like his mother, he began as an anonymous creator, then formed his company in 1977. Over the course of more than thirty years, Yamamoto won prestigious awards and was even the subject of a 1989 film by director Wim Wenders entitled Notebooks on Cities and Clothes. Sadly, Yamamoto faced the bankruptcy of his company in 2009. Although he quickly found a new backer, the global economic crisis of 2008-2009 contracted his global retail presence.

Even though his recent work has often embraced the sweeping romanticism of post-war Parisian haute couture, Yamamoto’s historical re-contextualizations contrast sharply with the work of marquee western designers. Deliberately absent have been the requisites of a contemporary high fashion wardrobe: high heels, rising hemlines, plunging necklines, and sheer fabrics. The lack of such gender specific characteristics connects the aesthetics of his gowns to his beloved, trademark suits.

Yamamoto’s dark, masculine suits and coats, sometimes paired with his famous white shirts (for both men and women), have long been among his most enduring and compelling products. The suits and shirts display his virtuoso tailoring skills as well as his love of vintage styles. A New York retailer noted that these items are wonders of construction and that in them, “the inner workings of Yamamoto’s very personal vision could be seen.”

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Corset made of triangular pieces of wood attached with nuts and bolts
Corset
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 1991
Black sleeveless floor length dress, twisted sections and shoulder ties, iridescent beaded swat…
Evening dress
Yohji Yamamoto
Spring 1998
Black short sleeve dress with full draped skirt with uneven hem
Ensemble
Yohji Yamamoto
Spring 1999
Alternate view of red hooded jacquard paisley print coat, long sleeves over to-the-ankle skirt …
Skirt
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2000
Black strapless floor length dress with padded piece at bodice and large red faux fur muff
Evening dress
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2000
Red hooded jacquard paisley print coat, long sleeves over fur hem to-the-ankle skirt
Coat
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2000
Off-white one shoulder below-the-knee dress with black and red  topstitching, one long black co…
Dress
Yohji Yamamoto
Spring 2000
Multicolor paisley long sleeve below-the-knee coat dress with hood, grey trim
Coat
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2000
Black lace-up above-the-ankle boxing shoes with three white stripes on sides, red trim
Shoes
Adidas
Fall 2001
Asymmetrical openwork blue denim bodice linked with metal rings, long flowing black skirt attac…
Evening dress
Yohji Yamamoto
Spring 2004
Long sleeve coat dress with hot pink, pink and black layers and large tied bows closure
Dress
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2005
Black silk long sleeve jacket with large lapels, matching cage corset and floor length pleated …
Suit
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall 2006