Yohji Yamamoto

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1943, Yamamoto graduated from Keio University in 1966 and then attended Bunka Fususo Gakuin, the Japanese fashion college, for two years. In 1972, he founded his own company after working as a freelancer. He presented his first collection in Japan in 1976.

Yamamoto is known for his nontraditional designs. He is known for wrapping the body in unstructured, loose, and voluminous. His designs also consist of additional pockets, straps, and flaps, similar to Rei Kawakubo’s designs. Unlike western views, Yamamoto continues to search the traditional Japanese conviction in beauty being not naturally given but expressed through the manipulation of the possibilities of the colors and fabrics.

Yamamoto focuses on designing non-directional garments that ignore contemporary Western developments of the silhouette. His search of beauty is found in the textiles instead of in decor. Yamamoto’s Y line and Y line for Men is moderately priced and extremely successful, which is a blend of his label and casual leisurewear.