Ivwri
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Messages
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Like you said, the original poster seemed to want Yohji to change his image - who he is and what his brand represents - in order to capture the current zeitgeist of fashion consumers. This to me shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the brand and person he went to work for. Rei Kawakubo has always approached clothing from a more intellectual and maybe even dispassionate standpoint, this allows her way more flexibility when it comes to creating things and branching out into multiple fields (even if not all of her decisions are motivated by market forces, one cannot deny the inherent massmarket appeal of something like Star Wars collabs). Yohji is obviously creating with his gut/heart and that is one thing that does not do well with adapting to trends. Yohji's romanticism is probably what attracts the majority of his fans anyway. Maybe I am being cynical, but I don't know if that sort of vibe is cool any more. I think the more modern "hipster" like nonchalance and obsession with the obscure and trends is what would sell better. Does something like "Comme Des Fuckdown" have any serious lasting power (speaking of which, is that an official CdG thing or some random urban brand capitalising on the name)?
The modern fashion consumer seems to be more concerned with signature pieces and easy to identify markers (whether that is a logo or a print or something) that they can use to showcase their fashion knowledge or savvy. The less ostentatious/glamorous tells that show that an item is made by YY are not very suitable for this purpose at all I feel. Think about the responses most people give when looking at people in Yohji's clothing (hammer pants, too baggy, shapeless, homeless etc.), these are not things with a mass market appeal where people want to look more and more glamorous and not like 19th century peasants or soldiers.
It is definitely regrettable that one of the primary barriers to entry to Yohji's brand is one of price and availability (and if I remember correctly Yohji has spoken on this a little in an interview or two), but this is unavoidable in this business and his particular niche. He uses Japanese manufacturers and craftspeople who are generally more expensive than normal, special fabric treatments and construction all of which demand more money than the average H&M or Zara product and these things are inherent to his brand and aesthetic I believe. Clothing made from the classic 100 wool gabardine wouldn't be the same if made from cheaper fabric, at least, not in the 10 year timeframe that Yohji says he generally designs clothing to last for. It's a shame that COMING SOON didn't work out as that seemed to have some very solid pieces that successfully captured some of that Yohji vibe, maybe they might try again? Right now at least they have s'yte which just makes t-shirts for now, and that seems to be doing pretty okay if the rate at which they sell out of items is any indication and the various collabos. Would be interesting to ask the original poster what they feel about the YY brand now and its current moves to make themselves financially more sustainable.
On a side note, I would probably pick up a Yohji Yamamoto x Yoda series of t-shirts and jackets with random sayings from both of them
The modern fashion consumer seems to be more concerned with signature pieces and easy to identify markers (whether that is a logo or a print or something) that they can use to showcase their fashion knowledge or savvy. The less ostentatious/glamorous tells that show that an item is made by YY are not very suitable for this purpose at all I feel. Think about the responses most people give when looking at people in Yohji's clothing (hammer pants, too baggy, shapeless, homeless etc.), these are not things with a mass market appeal where people want to look more and more glamorous and not like 19th century peasants or soldiers.
It is definitely regrettable that one of the primary barriers to entry to Yohji's brand is one of price and availability (and if I remember correctly Yohji has spoken on this a little in an interview or two), but this is unavoidable in this business and his particular niche. He uses Japanese manufacturers and craftspeople who are generally more expensive than normal, special fabric treatments and construction all of which demand more money than the average H&M or Zara product and these things are inherent to his brand and aesthetic I believe. Clothing made from the classic 100 wool gabardine wouldn't be the same if made from cheaper fabric, at least, not in the 10 year timeframe that Yohji says he generally designs clothing to last for. It's a shame that COMING SOON didn't work out as that seemed to have some very solid pieces that successfully captured some of that Yohji vibe, maybe they might try again? Right now at least they have s'yte which just makes t-shirts for now, and that seems to be doing pretty okay if the rate at which they sell out of items is any indication and the various collabos. Would be interesting to ask the original poster what they feel about the YY brand now and its current moves to make themselves financially more sustainable.
On a side note, I would probably pick up a Yohji Yamamoto x Yoda series of t-shirts and jackets with random sayings from both of them
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