Yohji Yamamoto’s Fall/Winter 2024 menswear collection was a stroll through the designer’s own archives, infused with unexpected twists and a poignant undercurrent. Titled “Tale of the Unexpected,” the show hinted at subversion, but instead unfolded as a tapestry of familiar themes reimagined and revisited.
Think echoes, not departures. Baggy pants, a Yamamoto mainstay, reappeared, but this time adorned with swirling brushstrokes like faded tattoos. Painted pinup girls peeked coyly from under oversized coats, reviving a playful motif from years past. Models young and old strutted the runway in a sartorial montage – tousled topknots next to weathered faces, each bearing the stamp of quiet confidence.
“Old Bohemian,” read the back of one jacket, as if offering a wry wink at the passage of time. But the photographer backstage wasn’t fazed. “We’re older,” he mused, “but that’s the only thing that changes. What we create is still the same.” And indeed, Yamamoto’s signature deconstructivism remained, layering textures and silhouettes with the same masterful hand that’s been weaving his unique vision for decades.
The show culminated with a personal touch. Pants bore the names of collaborators – Wim Wenders, director of the Yamamoto documentary “Notebook,” about Hannah O’Neil, a ballet dancer at the Paris Opera. Their 1989 collaboration echoed down the runway, a reminder of a shared artistic alchemy forged in the ashes of war-torn cities.
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But amid the reminiscence, a youthful pulse pulsed. The soundtrack, a surprising curation by the octogenarian designer, pulsed with slowed-down bluesy covers. Radiohead’s “Creep,” Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” Taylor Swift’s “Lover,” even a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy“-each song resonated with a wistful longing, a whisper of lost innocence clinging to the weathered fabric of experience.
When asked about his musical choices, Yamamoto simply replied, “How did they make you feel?” There, beneath the layers of black and the meticulously deconstructed seams, lay a romantic core. A gentle defiance in the face of time, a quiet hum of resilience that echoes through the generations. As Yohji Yamamoto, his signature black cap tilted low, acknowledged the applause, one thing was clear: his artistry, steeped in rigor, curiosity, and an unyielding depth of emotion, will truly outlive us all.
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©Photo: Yohji Yamamoto
