Yohji Yamamoto

[kagitsune]

Hi everyone. Am a newbie in this forum or any "style" forum for the matter. Been enjoying what I read and see in this forum and decide to join the conversations.

I like Yohji Yamamoto designs even before I realize it was him.

I am a fan of Takeshi Kitano's film. I always find the unconventional fit of the yakuza's suit very interesting. Something draw me to it every time I watch those films. And of course the costumes in "Zatoichi" was amazing. Only early this year i realize they were by Yamamoto. Having browse many of the looks in the net and this thread, I am beginning to entertain the idea of entering into the perilous waters of buying some from YYPH. Been looking through my wardrobe and gadgets looking to things I can sell to gather more funds. Been spending hours on the net looking through many of the past seasons collection. I am on the verge of being an addict. I have always been interested in clothes and culture but never consider myself a fashionista or been interested in many labels. Usually I wear engineered garments with a bit of Junya Watanabe and Paul Harnden. But I'm in a strong leaning to giving my wardrobe a "paradigm shift".

This post just makes me happy. :) It reminds me of how I felt when I was introduced to his work. Before then, I'd only been into Harajuku-based lolita/street wear brands. Totally changed my design aesthetic. Found out that I'd already been loving his designs out of "Dolls". :D

Yohji makes you work for his clothes. Right now I'm wearing the first YY piece I bought - a second-hand Y's cut-and-sew knit jacket (men's judging from the button placement) with unfinished edges. I wear the dang thing every day the temperature goes below 80F. I was in college and I had no money, so I sold a thrifted fox fur capelet to Buffalo exchange to make the $40 the flea market seller was asking for. (OT, but if you live in the NYC area, check out The Garage flea market on 25th st. between 6th and 7th aves. Ask around for Karen or Ziggy, they know their stuff and Karen always has something incredible).

Anyway, I've stuffed this jacket under and over thick shirts and heavy jackets, and it's only ever torn at the underarms (easy fix) a couple times. I've built half my wardrobe around it. And it's great for almost every situation.

I only want a better-paying job so I can buy more yohji... xD

[333]

Kudos, Kung fu master.

Your ninjas are here to await your command.

[surver]

[woundedglamour]

Some eighties Yohji.

1982


1985

[teeteet]

The linen pieces are durable. However, they do not drape as well.

[elephantstone]

while you can always choose linen instead...I love Yohji's linen pieces. Breathable and durable, perfect for summer

[teeteet]

Well, for cotton to be this thin, it won't last for many wears. The same happened to my RO pieces, so it's not just Yohji pieces.

[Burlingame]

wow, sorry to hear that. I know the cotton jersey pants you're talking about. I didn't imagine they'd be that fragile. that's disappointing.

[teeteet]

Anyone who is a fan of YY knows the wool gabardine is sturdy and durable. I too bought a jersey cotton trousers from SS12 and tore it after wearing it twice. Same with the silk pieces, but I suppose one has to get used to wearing silk, but the jersey cotton was just too thin. Looks good though!

[333]

I think it's both.

Some are tough but there are items that feels really delicate. I've got a SS12 jersey cotton pants and the fabric is really delicate. Thinner then a t-shirt! Also another pleated cotton trouser for the same season is very thin as well. I do enjoy the soft fabric since it's endless summer where I am. Seems that he work with a lot of different soft fabric for SS. Comfort level is definitely high for Yohji's stuff.

But the wool gabardine stuff are tough, of course.

[Burlingame]

I'm surprised to hear people describing YYPH fabrics as "delicate." I have the opposite reaction. The wool gabardine, among the most-used fabrics in YYPH, is really sturdy in my experience. Some of the cotton jersey stuff I've recently seen looked new like it had already been through the wash a hundred times, so it would be unlikely to change shape or color just from regular use. And it was fairly thick so it didn't seem like you could wear through it easily like with a Rick t or something. Then there's the heavy cotton twill...

I guess the silk jackets and garments of that nature could be seen as delicate. But they're so beautiful I don't even care. Of course it depends on the item, but in general I think it's designed for lots of wear (after all, Yohji wants you to make it "dirty" http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/colum...ting-edge.html)

[teeteet]

I was at the Paris store earlier this month, Etienne Marcel shop, and there was nothing much. The entire ground floor and part of the basement are dedicated to women's, not much YYPH at all. Transition, maybe?

[stadsvandringar]

Yes, YYPH fabrics can be delicate, but the newer collections represent a fairly large range. Often there are a fair number of pieces in a collection that do not show up on the runway. Rougher, less formal and harder-wearing materials are also used. Most seasons yohji has been producing some kind of distressed denim, for example. I think part of the problem is that unless you actually go to a yohji store, most places tend to only get bits and pieces of a collection.

[teeteet]

Y's men has been discontinued. Y's women remains. I face the same issue with YYPH, fabric can be delicate at times. Seen some Y-3 pieces online remarkably similar to YYPH, yet to see it in real.

[jippos]

I must be out of the loop; I thought Y's had been discontinued. Maybe just the men's? I was disappointed in this turn of events, as mainline YY can be a bit precious for everyday wear, for me. And by precious, I don't mean cutesy, or anything like that; just that the fabrics can be a bit more delicate than I like, especially as I wear my clothing pretty hard. Y's was for me a great balancing act; much of the interesting cuts/shapes/detailing of the mainline, but with fabrics I didn't need to worry about too much, a little rougher....

Anyway, hopefully this means that Y's is still keepin' on.