Running Head: DESIGNER

PROFILE: YOHJI
YAMAMOTO

Designer Profile: Yohji Yamamoto

Cerena C Gonzalez

California State University, Northridge

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YOHJI YAMAMOTO

The History of Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto was born in 1943 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan to a widowed mother. In

the final stages of World War II, Yamamoto’s father had died in the war, leaving him fatherless

for all his life. His mother was a seamstress and had owned a small store in Kabukichou, an area

of Tokyo notorious for its entertainment and red-light district. Throughout his youth, Yamamoto

experienced a Japan that was working towards recovery and relief (Gonsalves, 2014). In a 2011

documentary called ‘Yohji Yamamoto: This is My Dream”, Yamamoto described his experiences

of growing up as “ hav[ing] no memory about Japanese culture because those things were all

destroyed. So maybe this is my root, the ruined Japan”. Yamamoto would continue to excel at

school and eventually enroll into Keio University, one of the most prestigious universities of all

Japan. He would graduate the university in 1966 with a degree in law. Uninterested in pursuing a

“normal life”, he decided to help his mother at her shop and enroll into Bunka Fashion Academy

in Tokyo (Business of Fashion, n.d.). It was there that Yamamoto began to understand the

business behind the fashion industry.

Yamamoto’s career in the fashion industry began in 1972, after helping his mother with

dressmaking, he launched a women’s label in Tokyo called “Y’s”, remaining somewhat

anonymous in the industry. Shortly after, he had released a ready to wear collection in Tokyo

which received a large amount of positive feedback. Shortly after in 1981, he was invited to

show his collection in Paris for the first time. His collection had amazed the Paris fashion scene,

and buyers became plentiful (Gonsalves, 2014). He then launched a store a Paris, and his label

ready to wear lines have populated luxury brand stores ever since. Throughout the years, he had

also had the opportunity to collaborate with celebrities and both famous brands, such as Adidas

known as, Y-3. (Business of Fashion, n.d.).

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In 2009, however; Yamamoto’s label was on a heavy downturn. Due to the unwise

decision making in the financial sector within his company, combined with the weakening

economy within Japan, Yamamoto’s label had fallen into about $67 million dollars of debt

(Tabuchi, 2009). Yamamoto’s company had no choice but to file for bankruptcy protection in

Japan. Fortunately, he has been able to recover from this setback ever since and is still widely

known as one of the designers who introduced luxury fashion to Japan.

The Work of Yohji Yamamoto

The Characteristics

Yohji Yamamoto’s signature style consists of loose, asymmetrical, and monochromatic

elements. This signature style that Yamamoto had created for himself was a rebellious

counterstrike against the form-fitting, and bright colored fashions that have populated the world

of avant-garde in Paris, France. During this era, consumers in high fashion were becoming tired

of what they would normally see on the runways, making Yamamoto’s designs in Paris a new

breath of fresh air. From the silhouette to the color, and overall image of his designs, Yamamoto

had rebelled on all aspects to what was considered ‘popular’ at the time, while also sharing

Japanese avant-garde fashion with Europe (Kawamura, 2004). In an interview with the New

York Times in 2000, Yamamoto described his color choices by stating “Black is modest and

arrogant at the same time. Black is easy and lazy but mysterious...But above all black says this:

‘I don’t bother you. Don’t bother me’” (Bannerman, 2018). Although an all monochromatic color

scheme at the time was new, he still held tradition as an important aspect in his designs. In the

Japanese culture, there is a term called “wabi-sabi”. Wabi-sabi is prevalent in all Japanese

artforms, and the term can be defined as the “imperfect, or unbalanced”. If ‘wabi-sabi’ were a
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genre, it would be classified as melancholic, yet beautiful. In regard to art, Japanese people hold

this element as a very important component. In a 2014 interview with Gonsalves, Yamamoto

describes this cultural difference as “We Japanese have the tendency of enjoying the emotion of

missing, enjoying the memory [more than the event]”. This cultural belief can be seen

throughout his designs through the imbalanced asymmetry and overall melancholic style.

The Major Evolutions in Styles from Past to Present

Although Yamamoto’s signature style is easily recognizable and timeless, his style has

proven to change throughout time, as it is only natural. In the earlier years of his popularity, his

signature style was consistent with the elements of loose, large, simplistic, and monochromatic

designs. Although there were details of other colors introduced, the overall design was still very

traditional and simple, as seen in Images 6-8.

In the early 2000’s is when we begin to see the shift in Yamamoto’s designs when he

collaborated with Adidas, creating the Y-3 label, which introduced more color varieties and fitted

garments. The collaboration pushed Yamamoto’s designs towards a more athletic, streetwear

style of clothing, as seen in Images 9 & 10, yet still holds some of the key elements of

Yamamoto’s signature style such as the use of black, with the colors being an accent to the

overall look.

Shortly after the start of Y-3 with Adidas, another large turning point within his style

shortly followed. In 2005, for his Autumn/Winter collection, Yamamoto decided to make warm

tones his main focal point for certain garments, while also incorporating more feminine details

throughout all garments. Still utilizing layered silhouettes and monochromatic schemes, the

overall look still accurately represents Yamamoto as a designer yet evolved. In Image 11, we can
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clearly see the use of ornate bows near the waistline, while also keeping a silhouette reminiscent

of a Japanese kimono. As Yamamoto began to diversify his color choices and vary his color

options, we also see his brand heading into a different direction. As the Y-3 line with Adidas still

remains successful, we are seeing a lot more urban, streetwear influenced designed from

Yamamoto.

From avant-garde to ready-to-wear productions, Yamamoto has been able to remain true

to the core elements of his signature look through certain design options and remaining truthful

to his background and culture. Not only is he an inspiration to Japanese high-fashion designers,

but he has also contributed to one of the most iconic styles in fashion history. With true passion

for his art, Yamamoto does not plan on retiring from the fashion industry any time soon.

The Lifestyle and Major Events of the Time

As previously stated in Yamamoto’s early life history, he was born into a “ruined Japan”,

due to the troubles that World War II had brought to the people and economy of Japan. He felt

that he was robbed of truly being able to experience his heritage and he was not alone. In 1960’s

Japan, there were the Anpo Protests. During this time, the United States was trying to initiate and

contract with Japan, with the United States offering their military protection, and asking Japan to

allow them to establish military bases in their country. The treaty greatly angered many Japanese

citizens, as they felt that the Western influence was taking over their country and their culture

(Jesty, 2012). Due to the collective distaste for Western influences, it can by hypothesized that

Yamamoto’s designs were inspired by his need to regain his cultural identity and move fashion in

a trend that celebrated Japanese culture. Then, in the 1980’s, avant-garde fashion was dominated

by slimming silhouettes, feminine appeal, and bold colors. Yamamoto wanted to take an entirely
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different approach to high fashion, therefore creating androgynous monochromatic designs. In

this way, we see his rebellious nature again, reflecting the era in which he grew up in. At the

same time, the Japanese economy had fully recovered from the war, and even surpassed the

expectations on an international level. Because there was a dramatic, and swift upward shift in

the Japanese economy, consumers were able to indulge and take a greater interest in high fashion

goods.
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References

Bannerman, S. L. (2018, October 23). Yohji yamamoto, the japanese designer who redefined

avant-garde fashion. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/yohji-yamamoto-the-japanese-designer-who-

redefined-avant-garde-fashion/.

Business of Fashion. (0AD). Yohji yamamoto. Retrieved from

https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/yohji-yamamoto.

Gonsalves, R. (2014, February 1). The y still has it: The masterful japanese designer yohji

yamamoto shows no signs of taking a back seat in his fashion empire. Retrieved

September 24, 2019, from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/the-

y-still-has-it-the-masterful-japanese-designer-yohji-yamamoto-shows-no-signs-of-taking-

a-back-9093949.html.

Jesty, J. (2012). Tokyo 1960: Days of rage & grief. Retrieved September 26, 2019, from

https://visualizingcultures.mit.edu/tokyo_1960/anp2_essay03.html.

Kawamura, Y. (2004). The japanese revolution in paris fashion. Fashion Theory, 8(2). Retrieved

from https://go-gale-com.libproxy.csun.edu/ps/i.do?

p=ITOF&u=csunorthridge&id=GALE|A174820012&v=2.1&it=r

Tabuchi, H. (2009, October 9). Designer yamamoto files for bankruptcy protection. Retrieved

September 25, 2019, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/business/global/10designer.html.
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Appendix

Image 1: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/fashion/yohji-yamamoto/
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Image 2: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/fashion/yohji-yamamoto/
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YOHJI YAMAMOTO

Image 3: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2019 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/fashion/yohji-yamamoto/
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Image 4: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2019 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/fashion/yohji-yamamoto/
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Image 5: Yohji Yamamoto Spring 1999 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

http://marybawa.in/historyofashion/yamamoto.html
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Image 6: Yohji Yamamoto Autumn/Winter 1997-1998. Retrieved from: https://library-artstor-

org.libproxy.csun.edu/#/asset/ABROOKLYNIG_10312351076&fs
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Image 7: Yohji Yamamoto Spring/Summer 1995. Retrieved from: https://www-

bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.libproxy.csun.edu/products/berg-fashion-library/museum/los-angeles-county-

museum-of-art-lacma/womans-kimono-coat-and-sleeveless-dress
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Image 8: Yohji Yamamoto Spring/Summer 1998. Retrieved from: https://www-

bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.libproxy.csun.edu/products/berg-fashion-library/museum/los-angeles-county-

museum-of-art-lacma/womans-dress-16522
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Image 9: Yohji Yamamoto Y-3 Fall 2003 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2003-ready-to-wear/y-3/slideshow/collection#8
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Image 10: Yohji Yamamoto Y-3 Fall 2003 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2003-ready-to-wear/y-3/slideshow/collection#8
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Image 11: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2005 Ready-to-Wear. Retrieved from:

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2005-ready-to-wear/yohji-yamamoto/slideshow/collection#21
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