Yōji Yamamoto born in 1943, is an award winning Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. He is considered to be among the master tailors whose work is thought to be of fashion genius and has been described by Julie Gilhart, fashion director for Barney’s New York as probably the only designer you could name who has 60-year-olds who think he’s incredible and 17-year-olds who think he’s way cool.. His more prestigious awards for his contributions to fashion include the Japanese Medal of Honor, the Ordre national du Mérite, the Royal Designer for Industry and the Master of Design award by Fashion Group International.
Y-3 Brand is Collaboration between Yōji Yamamoto and Adidas. Which is proven to be both a critical and commercial success since its first collection for spring 2003. Since Yamamoto’s long been enamored with pockets and new fabric technology, Y-3 is known for its edgy takes on the basics of athleticwear. Tank tops, warm-up jackets, and sweatpants are amplified with new proportions and colors, and practicality is pushed to the limit with floor-length tank dresses and neon track suits.
From SoHo to Soho, Y-3‘s Spring collection is following the English culture in homage to London as host city for next year’s Summer Olympics. Appropriately for the sport-to-street-wear label, Yohji Yamamoto and recently installed creative director Dirk Schönberger looked to youth culture for their cues: a blitz of graphic Mod checks, punk tartans, and Union Jacks merged with Yohji World. What’s interesting is how suitable this marriage is. To wit: Those witchy romantic Yamamoto hallmarks like the morning coats and voluminous bustled skirts work as dark English Victoriana filtered through the Japanese avant-garde. This layering and conflating of British sartorial history was given bounce by its ultimate athletic reason for being. For women, it was snaking Yohji ruffles done as a basketball jersey and shorts, or a tartan half-kilt and blouson hoodie. There was lots of cutaway and convertible in all those shrouding black jackets, skirts, and dresses—it was the designer’s poetry in motion. For the men it was slightly more basic, with nylon and leather bombers layered over tartan tees and rolled pants or sweats cut with the slightest drop in the crotch. A Carnaby Street checked suit was served pretty much straight up. What you noticed more was the clever and rather chic track jacket-cum-trenchcoat. Sometimes the mix yields magic.
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- Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2012 Schedule (thefashionisto.com)
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