Yohji Yamamoto Takes Us on a Journey

You can always expect to be taken on an unexpected journey at a Y-3 show.

“Our generation—you can call it the beatnik generation or the Vietnam War generation; we have been called hippies—our generation has been traveling all around the world, by walking,” Yohji Yamamoto whispered after the show. “Now the young people don’t make this kind of travel. I want to catch this spirit [and give it] back to young people.”

Y-3 has always been on the forefront of innovation of urban sportswear. Yamamoto has always played with proportions and shapes, challenging our perception and crossing the boundary between sportswear and high fashion. For RTW Fall 2011, Yamamoto continued on the journey of volume – protecting the body with cocooning, padding and unexpected contrasts. Yamamoto showed both the men’s and women’s collection together, showing a cohesiveness to both collections. For women, giant skirts under long flannels, harking back the days of grunge, arm warmers and a play on lengths proved to be a hit with editors as the after show buzz confirmed. For men, the militaristic influence was strong – cargo pockets everywhere amidst the sea of army parkas.

Perhaps its fitting that Yamamoto looks at the journey as his inspiration for this collection – it marks the 10th anniversary with Adidas.

photos: Style.com