Yohji, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Looser Fit (Yohji Yamamoto Thread)

[Parker]

^ yeah, I really like the blend of east/west especially in that look. that kimono print is very cool.

it's clothing as armor, but a very soft version of it.

 

[Ivwri]



^ yeah, I really like the blend of east/west especially in that look. that kimono print is very cool.
it's clothing as armor, but a very soft version of it.

Yeah exactly. So great. My plan is to pick up two of the pleated Hakama pants and one or two of the kimono print chaps. I really like the collar detail on this shirt as well -

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

The picture doesn't show it well, but it has buttons running down the back allowing you to button up the collar in multiple ways and shape it as you want. I have a L/S tshirt with a placket running down the back and there's just something about this detail that makes me smile every time I see it .

I really like this aspect of a lot of his clothes. So many of them have straps, buttons, flaps etc. allowing you to shape them differently every time you wear them. They can completely change the shape or feel of an outfit.

If anyone is interested, I could scan the SS2012 catalogue and upload it as a pdf or something. It has everything on the runway complete with product codes.

 

[Guy Burgess]



If anyone is interested, I could scan the SS2012 catalogue and upload it as a pdf or something. It has everything on the runway complete with product codes.

yes please!

On another note I really need to keep an eye out for some Yohji trousers. There were dsome navy ones on ebay a while back I wish i'd bought. They'd have been perfect with my summer Harnden.

 

[topcatny]



I don't actually know to be honest. The current creative director for Y-3 is a guy called Dirk Schonberger so I imagine that he has a pretty solid amount of input into the design process with Yohji having final say on what does and doesn't make the cut, but I don't know the actual relationship. With the financial crisis his company faced and the new investors, one can never know how much may be the new investors pushing Yohji to shill a little bit more to pay the bills.
Having said that, it seems likely that Yohji would be pretty hands-on with Y-3 as 1, he just seems like that sort of guy - not ready to just slap his name on something he had no input in creating and 2, the Y-3 documentary "This is my Dream" that just came out follows their preparations for the 2010 collection and I imagine quite a bit of it would have shown Yohji at work.
EDIT - Corrected the collection date to "2010"

Yohji's team designs Y-3 with input from adidas, adidas handles all sourcing/production and works with Yohji's team to incorporate some of the technology that adidas uses in other lines. There is also a working relationship between Yohji Yamamoto homme etc and adidas. For example in the US adidas actually handles sales and distributes Yohji's lines in the US and Canada.

Dirk Schoenberger is the creative director for adidas Sport Style which includes Y-3, adidas Originals, SLVR, the collaboration with Porsche Design and others. He has an impressive design background and is involved in all of these projects to varying degrees. The SLVR line probably shows off his design influence the most.

 

[the shah]

Several years back there weer some fierce y-3 takes on adidas F50 footy boots, including tiger head design. Algot a pair from gilt sale but I'd probably not wear them to play as I prefer minimalist white design

Unrelated -- I've just read about a third of the yohji dear bomb on this flight, so far it reads like aic's stream of consciousness , I hope it takes a turn for the better. If this is a glimpse of I'm I find I care little for any of it, aside from his anti-fit philosophy of shattering superficial tradition. Which is the most important , after liking voluminous design, in my case.

 

[asobu]

I'm not really into Y-3 so I don't know much of the details nor have I seen many of the collections. I've always prefered the adidas collabs within the main lines, which are different from Y3. The collaboration with Adidas started in 2001 as far as I know and was first incorporated in his femme collection AW 01 with magnificent results. This is why they did the 10 year collab specials for the AW11 YYPH collection. He also did some sneakers and for the ss02 collection for women, and after that started with his collab sneakers for men in YYPH aw02 which was his first mens collection to feature any adidas collabs, some of which still are the most sought after models. I think this was before the Y-3 line started?

The tiger shoes weren't Y-3 but part of the YYPH AW06 collection:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

That collection was pretty stellar for jackets and outerwear, btw.

Personally I always liked the models based off the adidas gsg9 boots he did for ss08 in full leather and aw08 in canvas/leather iterations. Great shape for his clothes.

 

[Ivwri]

Ah, I didn't know there were separate collabs from Y-3. I had seen some images of the women's AW01 and assumed they were for Y-3

Good to know though.

Also, do you know anything about who designs and manufactures his shoes in general? Quite like the quality and designs of the ones I have so far.

 

[the shah]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

that's odd, i always saw them sold as y-3 (for example on gilt)

 

[asobu]

That's possibly how they're marketed/sold in the west, since they're part of an Adidas collab. I'm quite sure they're not part of the Y-3 line though, and that there are no markings or logos referring to Y-3 on any of the products or boxes. At least for the YYPH x adidas stuff I've seen. I do wonder if there's any difference in how and where they're produced.


Ivwri, sorry I have no idea who produces the mainline footwear, or have been throughout the years. I don't even know if they've changed production house or not. I've heard of some quality issues with a few products like the aw09 frankenstein boots but all the footwear I've handled personally have been great and the few pairs I have have been holding up well. The object dyed y's ss08 sneaks might be my most worn pair of shoes and they're still holding up magnificently.

He has done several collabs for footwear though, like with Doc Martens, George Cox, Trickers, Red Wings and Hiromu Takahara (designed some of the aw06 shoes/boots).


edit: speaking of the tiger F50's, they came delivered in a cage, lol

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[Ivwri]

No worries. I like all of the shoes in the 2012 collection, hehe. Probably only going to be picking up the sneakers and boots probably. I really like the blue derbies as well.

Meanwhile, I am hunting for these pants from SS00



Yohji honestly does the best drop-crotch stuff imo.

 

[asobu]

^those are Y's for men ss09, but perhaps that was just a typo?

Speaking of SS00 though, he did some cool fuller cut pants for that collection. Still regret not picking up a pair of these when I had the chance

and these are incredible, especially the 3 btn suit with the sandals

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[Ivwri]



^those are Y's for men ss09, but perhaps that was just a typo?
Speaking of SS00 though, he did some cool fuller cut pants for that collection. Still regret not picking up a pair of these when I had the chance

and these are incredible, especially the 3 btn suit with the sandals

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I actually thought they were YYPH SS00 . Funnily enough, wire.artist had helped me find a pair of these on Y!J and told me they were Y's and how they were similar to some of the SS00 pants.

I would wear everything that you linked as well. Really like those pants with the tartan(?) lining. Such a great collection. Very happy there is a full video of it.

 

[najjarnajjar]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but not having owned a pair of Yohji pants (yet), I'm a little confused about the fit details. A while back I was interested in some YYPH pants on ebay... I think they were a size 3. However the waist circumference was about 40". I asked the seller if there were any button mechanisms on the inside of the waistband to adjust the waist and all he said was "wear a belt." Although I like the "one-size" idea, do you really just wear a belt? Does that lay correctly on the body? I may as well get a pair of big black pants from a second hand store and belt them...

 

[Guy Burgess]



Unrelated -- I've just read about a third of the yohji dear bomb on this flight, so far it reads like aic's stream of consciousness , I hope it takes a turn for the better. If this is a glimpse of I'm I find I care little for any of it, aside from his anti-fit philosophy of shattering superficial tradition. Which is the most important , after liking voluminous design, in my case.

i haven't read it all either, for the same reason you posted.

 

[asobu]



I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but not having owned a pair of Yohji pants (yet), I'm a little confused about the fit details. A while back I was interested in some YYPH pants on ebay... I think they were a size 3. However the waist circumference was about 40". I asked the seller if there were any button mechanisms on the inside of the waistband to adjust the waist and all he said was "wear a belt." Although I like the "one-size" idea, do you really just wear a belt? Does that lay correctly on the body? I may as well get a pair of big black pants from a second hand store and belt them...

The term one-sized gets thrown around a lot but in fact very few pieces in a certain collection are produced in just one size, if any at all. The garments that are generally one sized are knits and t-shirts, those are often just produced in sz 3 (roughly equivalent to M/48). Some pants are one sized but those are quite rare, at least for the last 10 years. The ss08 ronin pants with the button construction is the one pair I can think of from the last few years, though there might be a few others I've missed. In fact, he's done several pants with clever button construction on the waistband that still came in different sizes (for instance aw04).

However, post-03/04 the pants are cut quite generously in the waist. It's not totally uncommon for pants in sz 3 to measure 18"+ in the waist - though there are exceptions of course - they are indeed meant to be bunched up with a belt or worn with suspenders, and they do fall correctly on the body. The specific pair (I think) you refer to definitely came in sz 2 and 4 as well, though it should be mentioned that those are some of the widest pants he's cut during the last few years and might not be the best place to start if you've never worn Yohji before. The typical YYPH cut is the wide pants with drawstring in the waist, those often come in the regular size set 2/3/4 and are huge in the waist. The ones on LN-CC this season measured 43" in the waist for a sz 2 (S).


About sizing in general:

The regular size run is 2, 3 and 4. This aw11 season they changed it up a bit and started selling 1 (XS) in the west, before those was usually only sold in japan in very small numbers. There are also sz 5 and 6 for the western market (not sold in Japan), those are also quite rare. A sz 6 is never ever a one size item though I've seen some sellers claim them to be.

A good way to approach Yohji sizing is to think about height rather than width, if you're tall you should probably size up one so the inseam is long enough, no matter how the waist is cut. This goes for jackets as well, you get the intended balance in length and sleeve length. It's a common "mistake" to size down because the measurements look big, remember that it's often better to size up than down when it comes to Yohji.


Also note that this refers to the mainline, the Y's pants are often cut considerably slimmer in the waist (with exceptions as always).