A/W 95 Sleeveless Basque Jacket Midnight

Sleeveless tailored jacket in mediumweight wool nylon silk. Features a raw edged loop closure collar, darted body with a single button front, and side waist pockets. Finished with full interior lining in rayon.

Reminiscent of a Victorian era basque bodice with sculptural shaping and a suppressed waist achieved through pronounced diagonal front darts and princess seams at the back. The pockets are shallow and placed close to the centre for a peculiar stance when the hands are placed inside. The raw edged collar disrupts the sense of historic formality for a striking balance between romance and severity. Various different versions of this style appeared on the runway (see photos).

From the legendary A/W 95 collection. The season marked a radical turn in Yohji Yamamoto's work from the straight-line geometry of his 2 preceding Kimono themed collections toward a dramatically sculpted exploration of Western tailoring and couture history. Victorian and Edwardian forms were dismantled and recomposed around his fascination with the female back, weight of fabric, and movement — designing for a figure passing by — described as “designing the wind”.