Yohji Yamamoto renews his partnership with Japanese photographer Takay for the fourth time to present his latest collection for men. An exclusive online presentation, translated into an 18-minute video that transcends the concept of art and fashion.
The joie de vie that has been the protagonist of the catwalks of Milan and Paris is completely absent in Yamamoto's vision. The designer expresses his feelings and anger in his own poetic way and shares his vision of the people on the streets. A statement on today's world that is desperately trying to restart, but has not been made any wiser by adversity. You could call it a journey into the shadows, into our unconscious. To understand Yohji Yamamoto's vision one could quote Shadow, a song composed and written by Min Yoongi (better known as Suga of BTS): «I run but the shadow follows me, As dark as the light is bright».
There is incredible wisdom in Yamamoto's new collection. A more cautious view of the world, of course, but no less fascinating. The proposal for next spring/summer follows the designer's DNA by using unstructured and oversize shapes, very light fabrics such as linen, silk, and light cotton. Trench coats are revisited to suggest the idea of light and airy dresses, easy to wear for the hot summer. Black and beige hybrid looks are inspired by his spring 1986 men's collection in an implicit nod to upcycling, the process of reclaiming materials or products to create new objects.
Yamamoto presents his collection through the eyes of so-called "blue-collar" workers, whose dirty faces look almost straight out of a Dickens book. «To represent being close to all human beings, mixing all social categories». The jewelry is formed by mechanical tools, the final costume silhouettes - printed on real newspapers from the last months and soiled with paint as in Pollock's work - are a testimony of the current world. Yohji's music and words accompany every moment. They speak of loneliness, of trembling hands.
And we find those hands - and eyes - drawn by Japanese artist Yuuka Asakura, embellishing the final garments. It is no coincidence that these two details, so important in surrealist iconography, were chosen. One is a symbol of creation, of making art, the other a visualization of our psyche.
The makeup and hairstyles have a punk inspiration because even in the sensual elegance of the garments, that follow our every movement, Yamamoto's anti-conformism lives on, and as he shows in the last few seconds of his video, he truly believes in only one thing: the power of love.
