Yohji Yamamoto

{{Infobox fashion designer

|name = Yohji Yamamoto

|image = Yohji Yamamoto, New York Fashion Week, February 2010.jpg

|caption = Yamamoto, February 2010

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|10|3|df=y}}

|birth_place = Tokyo, Japan

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality = Japanese

|alma_mater = {{ubl|Keio University|Bunka Fashion College}}

|label_name = {{hlist|Yohji Yamamoto|Y's|Y-3}}

|awards =

|known_for =

|occupation = Fashion designer

}}

File:Yohji Yamamoto in A Kind of Woman by Matthew Donaldson.webm]]

{{nihongo|Yohji Yamamoto|山本耀司|Yamamoto Yōji|born 3 October 1943{{cite journal|author=Peter Yeoh|year=2011|title=Contrarian Couturier |journal=Glass Magazine|issue=5|issn=2041-6318}}}} is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. Considered a master tailor{{cite web|url=http://www.style.com/fashionshows/designerdirectory/YJIYMOTO/seasons/|title=Yohji Yamamoto Fashion Shows: Designer Directory on Style.com|publisher=style.com|access-date=9 August 2014}} alongside those such as Madeleine Vionnet, he is known for his avant-garde tailoring featuring Japanese design aesthetics.

Yamamoto has won notable awards for his contributions to fashion, including the Chevalier/Officier/Commandeur of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon,{{Cite news|title=デザイナー山本耀司がフランス芸術勲章の最高位コマンドゥール受章 |trans-title=Designer Yohji Yamamoto is to receive "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres / Commandeur" |website=Excite News |date=1 June 2011 |url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Fashionsnap_news_2011-06-01_yohji-commandeur/ |access-date=5 October 2020}} the Ordre national du Mérite, the Royal Designer for Industry and the Master of Design award by Fashion Group International.{{cite web|url=http://www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/publications/documents/Yamamoto.pdf|date=18 October 2007|title=Radical Elegance – Yohji Yamamoto Garments in Australian Collections|access-date=9 August 2014}}

Early life

Born in Tokyo, Yamamoto graduated from Keio University with a degree in law in 1966. He gave up a prospective legal career to assist his mother in her dressmaking business, from where he learned his tailoring skills.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/05/style/fashions-poet-of-black-yamamoto.html|title=Fashion's Poet of Black : YAMAMOTO|last=Tribune|first=Suzy Menkes, International Herald|date=5 September 2000|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=26 January 2017}} He further studied fashion design at Bunka Fashion College, earning his degree in 1969.[http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153 "Yoji Yamamoto,"]Women's Wear Daily (New York). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912100819/http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153 |date=12 September 2014 }}

File:Yohji Yamamoto polyester gown 1998.jpg

Career

Yamamoto debuted in Tokyo in 1977, followed by two more shows; a debut in Paris in 1981 and in New York in 1982.{{Cite web|url=http://www.catwalkyourself.com/fashion-biographies/yohji-yamamoto/|title=Yohji Yamamoto biography}} His first collection under the label Y's, focused on a collection for women that reflected typical men's garments, with clothes cut in uncluttered shapes with washed fabrics and dark colors.[http://fashionologyv2.weebly.com/yohji-yamamoto.html Blog] In an interview with The New York Times in 1983, Yamamoto said of his designs, "I think that my men's clothes look as good on women as my women's clothing […] When I started designing, I wanted to make men's clothes for women."[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/23/style/yohji-yamamoto-defines-his-fashion-fashion-philosophy.html YOHJI YAMAMOTO DEFINES HIS FASHION FASHION PHILOSOPHY]. The New York Times. 23 October 1983. More recently he has expounded: "When I started making clothes for my line Y's in 1977, all I wanted was for women to wear men's clothes. I jumped on the idea of designing coats for women. It meant something to me – the idea of a coat guarding and hiding a woman's body. I wanted to protect the woman's body from something – maybe from men's eyes or a cold wind."{{cite web|url=http://the-talks.com/interviews/yohji-yamamoto/|title=Yohji Yamamoto: "People have started wasting fashion"|website=the-talks.com|date=31 August 2011}}

His main line, Yohji Yamamoto (women/men) and Y's, are especially regarded in Tokyo. These two lines are also available at his flagship stores in Paris and Antwerp, and at high-end department stores. Other principal lines include the high fashion brand Pour Homme, Costume d'Homme, and the diffusion line Coming Soon.

Yamamoto is known for an avant-garde spirit in his pieces, frequently creating designs far removed from current trends. His signature oversized silhouettes often feature drapery in varying textures. Yohji's collections are predominately made in black, a colour which Yamamoto has described as "modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy – but mysterious. But above all black says this: "I don't bother you – don't bother me"."

Poor decisions by finance managers pushed the brand into debts of more than US$65 million in 2009, which angered Yamamoto and led to a company restructuring from 2009 to 2010. The private equity firm Integral Corp was identified as the Japanese company who will restructure the Yohji Yamamoto brand and by November 2010 the company was out of debt.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/my-anger-japanese-designer-yohji-yamamoto-opens-up-about-losing-his-father-and-his-rage-at-fashionrsquos-frivolities-2136912.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/my-anger-japanese-designer-yohji-yamamoto-opens-up-about-losing-his-father-and-his-rage-at-fashionrsquos-frivolities-2136912.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Independent | date=21 November 2010 | title='My anger': Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto opens up about losing his father and his rage at fashion's frivolities}}{{cbignore}}

Since its Paris debut in 1981, Yohji Yamamoto has continued to expand its cutting-edge influence through fashion. Now, it takes a leap into the wider creative field with the introduction of a new conceptual chapter [https://wildside-online.com/ WILDSIDE].{{cite web | url=https://hypebeast.com/2022/7/yohji-yamamoto-wildside-needles-ambush-minedenim-2022 | title=Take a Walk on the Wildside with Yohji Yamamoto's New Conceptual Project | date=20 July 2022 }}

Fashion advocacy

In 2008, the Yohji Yamamoto Fund for Peace was established to foster development of China's fashion industry and to help heal the long-standing enmity between China and Japan.Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries: [http://www.cpaffc.org.cn/yszz/detaile.php?subid=962&id=405 "Y's Fashion Show and Auction for Yohji Yamamoto Fund for Peace Held in Beijing."] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20110723102228/http://www.cpaffc.org.cn/yszz/detaile.php?subid=962&id=405 |date=23 July 2011 }} Each year, an emerging Chinese designer will be awarded with a two-year scholarship to a fashion college in Japan or Europe, and a male or female Chinese fashion model will be selected to make a runway debut during the Paris prêt-à-porter season.Alexander, Hilary. [https://archive.today/20120915073659/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/hilaryalexander/3364556/Yohji-Yamamoto-Historic-Fashion-Initiative.html "Yohji Yamamoto: Historic Fashion Initiative,"] The Telegraph (London). 23 February 2008.

Yamamoto has been quoted as saying: "they must have so many angry young people. Being a fashion designer or an artist, you have to be angry."[http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2008-04/080428-yamamotos-peace-project.aspx "Yamamoto's Peace Project,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611114631/http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2008-04/080428-yamamotos-peace-project.aspx |date=11 June 2011 }} Vogue (London). 28 April 2008. Of the fashion show he staged in Beijing in spring 2008 to launch this initiative, Yamamoto said, "It's not political. I am going to open a store here, then Chinese people will come and shop there, and then they are happy. The real art is making people happy, but also asking questions about society."Long, Carola. [https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/yohji-yamamoto-the-designer-stages-his-first-show-in-beijing-852269.html "Yohji Yamamoto: The designer stages his first show in Beijing,"] The Independent (London). 23 June 2008.

Brand identity

Yamamoto's designs recall Japanese drawing techniques.{{Cite web|date=2017-12-06|title=YOHJI YAMAMOTO – The Philosophy Of A Living Fashion Legend|url=https://spectr-magazine.com/philosophy-living-fashion-design-legend/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=Spectr|language=en-US}}

His technique consists of wide cuts, often oversized, exotic and luxurious materials and elaborate handicrafts. The designer endeavors to make his pieces from the back and not from the front.{{Cite news|last=Duka|first=John|date=1983-10-23|title=YOHJI YAMAMOTO DEFINES HIS FASHION FASHION PHILOSOPHY|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/23/style/yohji-yamamoto-defines-his-fashion-fashion-philosophy.html|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0362-4331}} He favors dark colors.{{Cite web|title=Yohji Yamamoto Designer Branding {{!}} Natie {{!}} Branding Agency|url=https://natie.com/project/yohji-yamamoto-designer-branding/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=Natie|language=en}}

Chronology

1973: Founded Y's joint stock corporation
1977: Tokyo collection debut
1981: Pret a porter collection debut in Paris. Yohji Yamamoto line started at the same time
1984: Yohji Yamamoto joint stock corporation founded
1993: Designed costumes for the Heiner Müller & Daniel Barenboim production of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde at The Bayreuth Festival
1996: Designed alongside Red or Dead founders Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway MBE
2002: Haute couture collection presented in Paris. Relationship formed with exclusive Parisian boutiques
2003: Opening of the Y's line flagship store in Roppongi Hills
2003: Y-3 line and collection debut
2011: Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London
2014: Designs third kits for the football club Real Madrid
2019: Designs the All Blacks jerseys for the 2019 Rugby World Cup{{Cite web|url=https://news.adidas.com/Rugby/adidas-release-jersey-designed-by-y-3--made-for-the-all-blacks--fusing-sport-with-culture/s/a63b8a78-1ebb-4c34-8ffa-0c6277b13707|title=adidas release jersey designed by Y-3, made for the all blacks; fusing sport with culture|website=news.adidas.com| date=30 June 2019 |access-date=2 July 2019}}
2022: Designed a special alternate all-black uniform set for the Yomiuri Giants that was played from September 6–8 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars{{cite news |last=Silbert |first=Jake |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/yohji-yamamoto-mlb-giants-new-era-collab/ |title=Yohji Yamamoto: Poet of Black, Baseball Enjoyer |work=Highsnobiety |publisher=Highsnobiety |date=2022-08-01 |accessdate=2022-09-08 }}

Awards

{{flag|France}}: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres / Chevalier, 1994{{cite web|url=http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Yohji_Yamamoto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209175101/http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Yohji_Yamamoto|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 February 2012|title=Yohji Yamamoto - Voguepedia|publisher=vogue.com|access-date=9 August 2014}}
{{flag|Japan}}: Medals of Honor / Medal with Purple Ribbon, 2004
{{flagu|Japan}}: Japan brand development (contributed corporation) award from METI, 2005
{{flagu|France}}: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres / Officier, 2005
{{flagu|France}}: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres / Commandeur, 2011

Filmography

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989) by Wim Wenders
Brother (2000) by Kitano Takeshi
Dolls (2002) by Kitano Takeshi
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (2008) by Heiner Müller
Yohji Yamamoto: This is My Dream (2011) by Theo Stanley
Yohji Yamamoto: Dressmaker (2016) by NGO The Chau

References

[http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153 "Yoji Yamamoto,"]Women's Wear Daily. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912100819/http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153 |date=12 September 2014 }}