This season, eponymous designer Yohji Yamamoto flexed both sides of his brain: the AW25 collection was practical — shielding the wearer against harsh weather conditions, and creative — a hard-edged mishmash of textures and washed graphics.
The show, which comes amid a tumultuous time politically and economically speaking, was dark: a black runway was set against washed grey walls splattered with black paint. Fittingly, the phrase, “sadness and suffering are the flowers of life,” was strewn across one coat. Meanwhile, atmospheric Japanese music oscillated between morose and hopeful.
Instead of casting models or celebrities of another ilk in the show, Yamamoto opted for creatives like dancer Hugo Marchand, poet and artist Robert Montgomery, and photographer Mohammed Bourouissa. Artist power couple Luc Tuymans and Carla Arocha also made a runway cameo, side by side.
In another unusual move that kept the audience on their toes, models would remove, turn inside out, and then swap their jackets, demonstrating the collection’s versatility and worth (two jackets for the price of one, anyone?). Although not particularly common today, reversible garments actually date back to ancient times when shepherds' jackets had both a warm side for when the weather was cold and a cool side for warmer climbs.
Although perhaps not a shepherd, this season the Yamamoto man was a man of the real world, armed in heavy boots, workman’s trousers, denim, and, occasionally, carrying a tin bottle of water. Practical layering (needed for this weather)—a staple at myriad shows this season— was also employed, with padded jackets worn over gently padded shirts. The models were of varying ages, solidifying the rugged, all-ages versatility of the collection.
Emerging in velvet and linen iterations, the collection proffered an elevated spin on the puffer jacket for those of us who want to keep warm but are averse to the usual streetwear nylon offerings. Less practical but aesthetically effective were linen padded shorts cut off just below the knee.
Plaids also made an appearance (they also featured at Prada, Woolrich, and MSGM, emerging as a likely trend). Yamamoto’s were predictably dark, with deep reds and greens interspersed with blacks and greys, occasionally dripping with chains, because workmen, too, warrant a bit of swag.
All featured images via Yohji Yamamoto/ Getty ©
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