Yohji Yamamoto : on a man in black

A few months ago I was lucky enough to wander into London's Victoria and Albert museum on what happened to be the last day of the 

Yohji Yamamoto retrospective.

“With my eyes turned to the past, I walk backwards into the future” 

It was a gorgeous array, with Yamamoto's designes scattered around the museum in unsuspecting corners, culminating in a vast white gallery chamber. 
The garments ranged from over the 30 years of his career - 

from his debut Paris collection in 1981, and included video installations, beautiful books (including My Dear Bomb) and catalogues to be pawed over. In the central gallery alone over 60 of Yamamoto's greatest designs could be viewed, not behind glass, but with intimacy, the way it was intended.

With the many seasons of fashion that Yamamoto has weathered, in the collection there were punk stylings, elegant gowns, maritime, renaissance, clergy and amish influences, men, women, androgyny, bursts of colour, waves of black...

but all with the overarching focus on Textiles

"Fabric is everything" says the Japanese icon, and there's no doubt that he has truly exploited his medium over the past three decades.

"I'm searching for a new proportion. What interests me is the 'space' between the person wearing the clothes and the clothes themselves - the airiness, the movement, the silhouette"

YOHJI YAMAMOTO:

Born: Tokyo, 1943

Studied at:   Tokyo's Keio University (law degree)

                      Bunkafukuso Gakuin School of Fahion (1966-1969)

First label: Y's (1972)

First collection: Presented in Tokyo (1977)

Launched the Yohji Yamamoto label (1981) in Paris (In 1981 With Rei Kawabuko debuting Comme des Garçons the two were met with general disgust in Paris)

Yohji Yamamoto pour homme (1984)

Collaborations: 

Photography: Paolo Roversi, Max Vadukul, Nick Knight, Inez Van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin 

Film: Takeshi Kitano, Wim Wenders, Heiner Müller

Choreography: Pina Bausch

and more, that list doesn't even include adidas or his music

There's just one last thing
the short film This Is My Dream is just lovely


xxx

Snow Shuffle

This blog is a place for materialistic desires (my conscience prefers MATERIALISTIC EXPRESSIONISM), and so, given that I have booked tickets headed away from sunny Australia to chilly Iceland and Russia, I'm indulging -

Cold Times Shopping List

First - some good creepers. For stomping.

 

Recently I saw some Issey Miyake creepers in an opshop for $40 (op shops are so greedy these days) that were just a tad too far towards hideous on the ever present amazing-vs-hideous scale (sadly they didn't fit anyway). Generally though, I am scared of buying creepers - they all seem so much fiercer than me.

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Obviously I will need Yohji Yamamoto a/w2000 - the ultimate Tibetan Snow Shaman collection (yes that's right - 'the ultimate', because the competition in that category is so great)

And should I fall victim to the pressures of sleep - no problem - donna dress is a bed that travels with you! Snoozin Chic.

It is important to keep our precious heads snug too, encased in fluffly tombs. Is something here reminicant of Hoth attire?

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Marc Jacobs a/w2010. So much amish-y goodness from this collection. Practical sweaters for practical people. Not-so-practical etherial dresses for practical people too.

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Tsumori Chisato a/w2011colours for legs. I love how the collection was true to the label - lots of colour and cute and bright - but retained a more muted element to make it seasonal.

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 LD Tuttle collaboration with Complex Geometries A/W 11-12. Also for stomping. Somehow I feel they would be practical for the snow. Probably because they resemble dinosaurs - and no one fucks with dinosaurs (except extinction)

Alas I am currently dancing the line between thrifty and greedy, I should be saving my pennies on actually Getting to Iceland. 

Put simply, I'm just going to start attaching pom poms to everything in an attempt to curb spending and satiate my wanton ways.

Pompom times began yesterday after finding my sister making a model of phosphorus using pipecleaners and fluff balls in all my favourite colours. A tiara was born.

Bye for now and Sweet Dreams!

Goodnight, you princes of Maine. You kings of New England