Stephen Grove Designer Analysis March 19, 2014
! Yohji Yamamoto
! Yohji Yamamoto is one of my favorite fashion designers. Known for his Avant grade looks to his high fashion couture, Yamamoto has continuously pushed the boundaries of fashion and stayed true to himself. “With my eyes turned to the past, I walk backwards into the future.” (Vogue) Yamamoto said in 2011 when summing up his long career. His passion was to achieve anti fashion through fashion by using dark colors and outrageously innovative designs. Yamamoto was born October 3, 1943 in the capital city in Japan. He credits his aesthetic to what he calls his root. “I was born in Tokyo after it was bombed. So maybe this is my root, the ruined Tokyo. This dark side of the life is attractive for me forever, from the beginning.” (Voguepedia) He took a lot of his inspiration from his life and how he grew up. His father was drafted into the war which left Yamamoto with this feeling that he will always carry with him, or as he says the war is raging inside him. In 1966 after graduating from Tokyo’s Keio University Yamamoto went to work at his mothers clothing shop where he felt like he became a student again by learning how to cut and sew garments properly. Later that year Yohji went on to enrolling in Bunka Fashion College where he earned two top honors as well as the So-En and Endo fashion awards.
After a failed attempt to start off in Paris, Yamamoto made his way back to Japan and in 1972 founded Yohji Yamamoto, Inc. Thats same year he launched his first ever women's wear line to well receptive critics. In 1981 Yamamoto launched his most experimental line In paris which was dubbed the “Crow Look.” With his continued success Yohji went on to open his first boutique where he offered his mens and women's line where he began to notice that his female cliental while purchasing the women's line, were also purchasing the mens line as well. “More and more women are buying my mens clothes. Mens clothing is more pure in design. Its more simple with no decoration. Women want that.”(Voguepedia) I wanted to point this out because I think some designers go over the top with design and lose the base of the creation. I like that he refers to mens wear as clean and pure, because that is what most people want. You want something esthetically pleasing because you wont to focus on the craftsmanship rather than the clutter. I think he took that into account while creating more pieces because you see a real simplicity in some of his pieces where its a;ll about the fabric, and how that speaks to you. He went on to become a huge success and making a huge name for himself in not only Japan but around the world. From opening stores in New York Soho district, to creating costumes for various movies, even earning a contract with Adidas, Yamamoto has had a fulfilling career that keeps growing and expanding. However with all that success he did experience some bumps along the way. In October of 2009, Yamamoto’s company filled bankruptcy being $67 million dollars in debt. Under Japans corporate rehabilitation law the company is however able to still continue to operate. He also divorced his wife in 1976 due to strain on the relationship from most likely his work. He continues to grow his brand with Adidas and has recently showed his 2014 collection proving that he stills got it.
The reason I was first captivated by this designer was that his esthetic reminded me of my own. I have to admit, I only knew little about him until this project online seeing a few shows online and various pictures of garments in books, but knew enough too really appreciate his work. I think he is so uniquely different and he always has stayed true to that. He never compromised his vision and made his brand grow on his own terms, something I hope to one day do. I think when a designer or artist can take all the aspects of their life that have been positive or negative, and takes that and turns all of it into inspiration is pretty awesome and shows how much talent you really have. You really can feel a sense of where he has been and where he is going just by looking at his garments and the work he continues to put forth. He was and still is such an innovator in the fashion world and continues to inspire new designers like myself. Yamamoto spends a good quality time on his creative process and working with the best materials possible. Yohji uses a variety of fabrics and techniques throughout his collections combing various weights and looks to make each look complete. “Fabric is everything. Often I tell my pattern makers, just wait. Probably the material will tell you something.� (VAM) All the fabrics used in his garments are made in Japan with its own specifications making them unique and solely his own. His preference is to use fabrics which are heavier than most would usually use in womenswear or couture or high fashion, focussing on the use of incorporating mainly wools and cotton. Yamamoto with his love of wool, he demonstrates the use of knitwear throughout his collection. Using a variety of types of wool depending on the weight he desires from Cashmere, to Sheep’s Wool, to Mohair. He tends to focus on draping and how exactly the garment will sit or fall on the human form. I think one of his main focus in each of his collections, is to focus on the overall shape and image of each garment. He also uses various
techniques to each fabric such as Shibori, which is a method of dying cloth in a specific way as well as the technique Yuzen and Screen printing. He incorporates various Japanese elements with the use of embroidering and dying to bring bits and pieces of his heritage to each collection. As stated before the way he grew up plays a huge part in his design aesthetic. Yamamoto recalls while growing up in the Shinjuku district seeing the people around him and watching the streetwalkers, has left an impression on him, “They wore high heels and strong lipstick. They looked very wild, wild and scary and not very natural.” (Voguepedia) which makes me understand why he has kept that in his mind, “Wild and scary” while creating each and every look. His design look wild while having this element of horror. Its like a sort of costume drama. The work is just amazing and you can see the thought and creativity that has gone into each garment. He really does pull inspiration from the things he sees. Streetwalkers is something we see as obviously unattractive, but he sees the unattractive elements as beautiful. Yamamoto caters to the crowd that wants to be different. Someone who wants to be unique while still being fashion forward, someone young but who has a sense of maturity to there style. His clothes aren't for just everyday uses, they really are pieces that are meant to make you stand out from the rest, to be unique. The Brand isn't as accessible as it once were. Currently there are around eighty five Yohji Yamamoto boutiques in Asia and three in Europe with various retailers online. It used to be more accessible in the United States until all the Us stores were closed around the time the company experienced finical lose and accumulated there large debt. The clothing sizes for the mens line range from extra small to extra large, while the woman's range between extra small to about large and dress sizes from two to eight. ( I wasn't able to find an exact size chart.) The
price range for a Yamamoto design will definitely set you back. While you can fine a few “affordable” items, $80 like shoes or accessories, most items go for well over a few thousand dollars. But with that price you get quality, and a garment so unique and carefully created that you feel like you own a piece of art. Overall what I have discovered is that Yamamoto is a fashion genius, in my opinion anyway. I think true artistry is being able to see past what others deem beautiful and see your own vision clearly. You take the struggle you have and make them work in your favor. Another thing I’ve learned through my research is just how important a little thing like fabric can be. You have to put so much thought into it, its weight, texture, everything. I think its an important step that many designers over look. Ive also learned that with success comes hardship as to relationships and even your work. Someone once told me, “Once you reach the top, theres no where to go but the bottom.” You have to continue to put forth something amazing, which I think Yamamoto does continuously.
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Sources The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
! "The Talks." Yohji Yamamoto Interview. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
! "Yohji Yamamoto: Processes & Techniques." Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media Webmaster@vam.ac.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
"Yohji Yamamoto." Style.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
! "Yohji Yamamoto." - Voguepedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
"Yohji Yamamoto." Yohji Yamamoto. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.