Who is Yohji Yamamoto? You might have wondered. Yohji Yamamoto is a Japanese fashion designer with an eponymous brand and many enthusiastic fans. Yohji Yamamoto gained worldwide attention, much like Comme des Garçons, with the collection known as "The Shock of Black" during the 1981 Paris collection.
In an era when colorful and glamorous fashion dominated, Yohji presented a collection of all-black, oversized, and intentionally distressed, which came to be known as "The Shock of Black." This collection was an expression of Yohji's rebellious spirit, a quality that would become inseparable from his brand YOHJI YAMAMOTO.
CONTENTS
3. KEY TAKEAWAY
Yohji's masterpieces
Let's take a look at some of Yohji's iconic works.
1. 1981: The Shock of Black
2. 1996 Spring/Summer: Flower and Boys
3. 1995-96 Autumn/Winter: ROKUMEIKAN
4. 1999 Autumn/Winter: GIPSY
5. Wool Gabardine Hakama Pants / Crow Pants
Why is he held in such high regard?
Poetry in the form of clothing
"Consider why women look sexier when they wear men's clothing."
The background behind Yohji's introduction of all-black oversized clothing in 1981 may have been rooted in this thought. The phrase "The Shock of Black" became well-known worldwide, often associated with Yohji Yamamoto alongside Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo.
However, there is a decisive difference between the two designers.
While Rei Kawakubo explores different ways to express beauty in fashion, not just sticking to the success of "The Shock of Black", Yohji Yamamoto has stuck to his decadent aesthetics of "black and non-conforming cuts" for over 40 years.
Why is that so?
It's because Yohji's rebellious spirit remains strong within him. He lost his father in the war during his early years and grew up watching his mother work at a dressmaking shop in Shinjuku. This environment shaped his perspective on what "beautiful clothing for women" meant: it was not about body-conscious designs that please men but about designs that appeal to women's emotions, intellect, and thoughts and protect them.
"I grew up watching my hardworking mother's example, so I couldn't bring myself to like clothing that squeezed women's bodies into shapes that catered to men's preferences. I never did traditional body-conscious lines. I hated that kind of thing. So, I thought about putting men's clothing on them."
INTERVIEWED BY GQ JAPAN: ファッション界の巨匠、山本耀司が語る「インスピレーションを掴み取る力」
Yohji Yamamoto believes that a woman's beauty is not just about her physical attributes like shoulders, bust, or hips but also about her emotions, intelligence, and inner strength.
He was the first to strongly emphasize this idea of women's beauty.
It's said that when Yohji started designing men's clothing, some people thought that women wearing his clothes looked all black and unapproachable to men. So, he thought that by designing men's clothing, he might make it easier for men to approach women. This story suggests that Yohji's clothing might have given women a feeling of social strength.
Furthermore, Yohji's clothing is predominantly oversized. He explained the reason for this as follows:
"When I was born, there was hardly anything to feed a baby. So, people from my generation were all very small, and I got angry about being so small. That's why the sizes of my designs are large."
INTERVIEWED BY GQ JAPAN: ファッション界の巨匠、山本耀司が語る「インスピレーションを掴み取る力」
These antitheses within him make his creations innovative and revolutionary, interpreted almost like poetry.
When you wear Yohji's clothing and go out into the world, you may feel like the world looks different. You may find yourself walking with your back straight, feeling a sense of elevation. Perhaps you've had this experience. I'm one of those who have. The reason for this, I believe, is the message hidden within his clothing.
Fabric cutting technique that makes the wearer's gestures appear beautiful
Let's explore deeper into Yohji's interpretation of beauty in his designs that appeal to women's emotions, intellect, and thoughts. The most significant charm of Yohji's clothing lies in his cutting technique, which he has maintained for decades. After studying the bias cutting method, he constructed silhouettes that make the fabric look beautiful.
The drapes and silhouettes that cover the body are designed to appear beautiful when adapted to human movements. This beauty is accentuated by the absence of color, particularly in the case of black, which is a challenging color to express without perfect silhouette, volume, and cutting.
You'll understand when you actually wear it, but the beauty becomes apparent only when you put it on and move around; you can't see it when it's hanging on a hanger.
The lingering aftertaste of drapes that move with the body and silhouettes that make gestures appear more beautiful.
This artistic interpretation and his creations were extraordinarily modern and revolutionary. When you wear Yohji's clothing, it proves that clothing is not just a fabric that covers the body; it has the power to complement the beauty of human movements.
"Creation only occurs when clothing and the wearer meet and some kind of chemical reaction takes place. In other words, my work is completed when the wearer becomes an accomplice."
Nowadays, it's taken for granted, but black, loose-fitting, avant-garde clothing like Yohji's might not have existed without him. Furthermore, designers like Rick Owens and Martin Margiela might not have taken their current forms without his influence.
Yohji Yamamoto's influence and contributions to later designers are crucial in the history of fashion.
KEY TAKEAWAY
"Beautiful things are disappearing day by day. True fashion might eventually disappear, but as long as I'm alive, I won't let that happen."
Yohji Yamamoto continues to fight, and along with his rebellious spirit, he will undoubtedly keep producing overwhelming creations in the future. Wearing Yohji's clothes often makes you think deeply about what fashion really means. To appreciate Yohji's clothing, it's best to develop your sense of style and understand the messages he conveys.
Comments